Warrior's Daughter
by WhitethornWolf
Summary: Son Goku is a hero, pioneer of the age of the warrior and the avenger of his race. We already know of his sons; what if he had a daughter? An experiment in the form of Son Chiyo. COMPLETE!
1. A New Life

**Chapter 1**

"_The longest journey is the journey inward."_

-Dag Hammarskjold

* * *

"Now Chi-Chi, don't be so upset!"

Glowering, Chi-Chi pressed down on the accelerator of the aircar as it shot over the ocean.

"Stuff it, Dad!" she snapped as seawater sprayed them both. "I told them to be back by dark!"

"Goku hasn't been to the Turtle Hut in a dog's age," Gyumao said, wiping his forehead. "Probably had a lotta catching up to do…lost track of time…"

"Well, good for Goku!" Chi-Chi snapped, and swerved to miss a dolphin leaping gleefully from the water. "Except our son has school!"

Gyumao stared at the back of his daughter's head. "But Chi-Chi, Gohan's only four years old! He can miss a day of preschool and it won't make any-"

"Get with the times, Pop! It's a competitive world - and it's never too early to get an edge!"

Gyumao sighed and shook his head, gripping the sides of the aircar as his daughter swerved again. He loved his daughter, but sometimes she went overboard as far as her son went. "C'mon, honey. Please be careful...in your condition..."

"I'm fine!" Chi-Chi replied impatiently, though she did raise her foot from the accelerator. "The baby's not due for another month and a half!"

A small island with a single shack appeared on the horizon, and Gyumao rose from the seat, shielding his eyes with an enormous hand.

"Master!" he bellowed, catching sight of an old man standing outside the house. "It's me!"

Chi-Chi braked hard, and the aircar skidded to a stop with a bump that made Gyumao's teeth rattle. He climbed from the car and bowed.

"How are you, master? It's been so long!"

"Huh?" Kamesen'nin said vaguely, scratching his beard. "Oh, yeah...fine..."

There were others outside the shack-Gyumao knew Kuririn of course, and Bulma - and their eyes nearly bulged out of their heads when they saw Chi-Chi climb from the car with difficulty.

"Jeez!" Kamesen'nin exclaimed.

Chi-Chi didn't seem to notice their stares. Placing her hands on her hips, she glared at them and demanded, "Where's my son? Where'd Goku take him now?"

There was a long, awkward silence. Then Kamesen'nin smiled weakly.

"About that..."

* * *

_Later…_

"Dad, it's too soon!"

Gyumao watched Chi-Chi pace up and down the length of the hospital room, wincing with every step.

"You have to relax," he said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He sat awkwardly in a chair too spindly for his bulky frame.

"I can't relax!" Chi-Chi snapped, turning around with difficulty. "How am I supposed to? The baby's not due til December! It's not ready - I'm not ready!"

Another stab of pain in her abdomen made her bend over, crying out. Gyumao took her arm firmly and guided her back to the bed.

"Relax," he repeated. "You're not doing yourself or the baby any favours by panicking."

"I've done this before, remember?" Chi-Chi grumbled, but she allowed herself to be put in bed.

A young doctor entered the room, wearing a crisp white coat and carrying a clipboard.

"I'm Doctor Hakase," he said. "How do you feel?"

"Like I'm having a dinosaur instead of a baby!" Chi-Chi said sharply. "How d'you think I feel?"

"Ah." Unfazed, the doctor hung his clipboard on the end of the bed and pulled on a pair of gloves. "I'll just take a look. Please lie down."

After a few uncomfortable minutes, he stood up and went to wash his hands.

"You're almost fully dilated," he said. "I expect that baby will be arriving very soon."

"But how?" Chi-Chi demanded. "He's not due for almost two months!"

The doctor raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure? From the looks of it, your baby is definitely ready to be born. I'll call a midwife for you."

After Doctor Hakase left, Chi-Chi lay back on her pillows and sighed. It was not meant to be like this. Goku was supposed to be here, holding her hand and sharing in the excitement of a new baby together. Even Gohan should have been here, but he was in the wilderness being abused by a green demon. And Goku was…he was…

"It's too soon," she said again, and blinked hard to banish the sudden tears that rose in her eyes.

Gyumao patted her hand. "Perhaps it's for the best," he said. "The shock of what Master Muten told us earlier probably didn't help. And at least a new baby will keep you occupied for a while."

Pain tore through Chi-Chi's abdomen and she gritted her teeth. The contractions were getting worse. Soon the baby would come and she'd be left to raise it. Him. She and Goku both knew it was a boy. He was so excited when she told him, just like a little kid…

"_Goku?" Chi-Chi hesitated. "Do you remember back to before Gohan was born?"_

_Goku looked up from his bowl of rice. "Yeah? What about it?"_

"_Well, do you remember how I told you how…how babies were made and everythin'? How it…um, happens?"_

_Chi-Chi blushed. Oh, she remembered _that_ mortifying talk._

"_Yeah," Goku said. Damn him, she thought, he was completely unfazed. "Why, have you forgotten?"_

"_No, of course not!" Chi-Chi snapped. "I - what I'm trying to say…Goku, we're gonna have another baby!"_

_There was a long pause, in which Goku swallowed a mouthful of rice._

"_You mean there's another little baby in there right now?"_

"_Yes, that's exactly what I mean."_

_Goku stood up and pushed away his bowl. Then suddenly he grabbed his wife and gave a big whoop, then swung her around._

"_Whoopeee! I'm gonna be a dad again! Yeah!"_

_Chi-Chi laughed, then promptly pushed him away and ran out of the room as nausea rose in her stomach like a wave. As she ran she could hear Goku's voice reverberating through the house._

"_Where's Gohan? Goha-a-a-an! I'm takin' him fishing to celebrate!"_

One year was a long time, but her father was right - a new baby would keep her hands full. And when Goku and Gohan finally returned at the end of the year, they would get to meet him.

The door opened, and a nurse stuck her head inside.

"Miss Chi-Chi, is it?" she said. "I'm your midwife, Suimono."

Chi-Chi cried out as another contraction gripped her. She took long deep breaths, fought the pain and gave the nurse a weak smile.

"It won't be long now," Suimono said, after examining Chi-Chi. "Would you like some water?"

"Yes, please."

Chi-Chi gulped down the water, nearly choking as another contraction tore through her. There was a horrible shrieking sound as her father pulled his chair across the linoleum floor to her bed side. Her hand was lost in his massive fingers.

* * *

Some time passed; Chi-Chi was by now far too distracted to care how long, but it seemed like an eternity. And finally in the late afternoon, her and Son Goku's second child came kicking and screaming into the world like Gohan had, four short years before.

Chi-Chi collapsed back onto her pillows and let her shoulders droop with exhaustion.

_I did it!_ She thought, and let her eyes close. When she opened them a few moments later, she saw the back of the nurse as she bathed the baby.

"Miss Chi-Chi, your baby has…well. Hmm, it's quite unusual."

Chi-Chi looked over at the nurse, who was still bent over the baby bath.

"What?" she said, frowning. "What's wrong?"

"Well, um…" the midwife glanced over her shoulder in puzzlement. "It's a tail."

"Oh." Chi-Chi laughed. "It's a…a family oddity. On my husband's side. My first son was born with one as well."

"I see," the midwife replied, though she clearly didn't. "Well…if it's normal in the family…and your daughter is beautiful anyway."

Chi-Chi nodded absently. Then a second later, what the nurse said caught up to her.

"Wait, did you say…?"

Suimono turned around. She was cradling the baby, who was swaddled in a pink blanket. "Here's your daughter."

"What?" Gyumao murmured. "Chi-Chi, I thought you said the baby was a boy!"

"Well, I thought he was," Chi-Chi said. She took the baby from the midwife. After a few moments the nurse left the room and there was a sudden silence. Both father and daughter took the time to study the baby in front of them. Her face was bruised from the trauma of birth, but she had a mop of thick black hair that stood up in spikes and tiny starfish hands. Black eyes stared from underneath puffy eyelids. She looked exactly like Gohan when he was a baby, but Chi-Chi supposed that would change.

A girl. She had always wanted a daughter. Of course she loved Gohan with all of her being - but here was someone she could share an understanding with. And at least she wouldn't be obsessed with fighting like her father.

Chi-Chi smiled down at the curious little face that blinked sleepily at her.

"Well," she said. "She doesn't much look like a 'Goten.'"

Gyumao laughed and gently brushed a lock of hair off the baby's face. The newborn had drifted off to sleep, snuffling occasionally. Chi-Chi felt like sleeping too, but first she wanted to name the child. But what to name her? She wanted Goku to share in this moment, too. After all, it had been his idea to name Gohan after his grandfather. The name Gohan was special. Chi-Chi wanted her second child's name to be special, too.

"Well, Dad?" she asked. "Do you have any ideas?"

Gyumao stroked the baby's head for a moment. His massive hand was almost twice the size of her head, Chi-Chi noted with amusement.

"What about your mother?"

She looked at him in surprise. "Chiyo?"

"Why not? You named Gohan after Goku's grandfather. Wouldn't it be appropriate to name your first daughter after her?"

Chi-Chi stared down at the baby for a moment. "Chiyo." She fished the baby's tiny hand from the blankets. "Son Chiyo. Welcome to the family."

Little Chiyo's fingers latched onto her mother's thumb with a grip of iron. Chi-Chi smiled. "You are definitely Son Goku's child."


	2. Aftermath

**Chapter 2 – Aftermath**

"_Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer; nothing is more difficult than to understand him."_

-Fyodor Dostoevsky

* * *

"Can't this plane go any faster?"

Clutching her daughter tightly, Chi-Chi worried at her lip and stared out of the window. One year old Chiyo squirmed and made a grab for her red bracelets, but her bubbling laughter didn't make Chi-Chi smile or ease her worries at all.

Kamesen'nin, Bulma and Karin glanced uneasily at the young mother occasionally, but otherwise didn't speak. Chi-Chi could be truly frightening when she was angry, and no-one wanted to antagonize her any further.

Chi-Chi jingled her bracelets and smiled vaguely as Chiyo shrieked with laughter, waving fat fists in the air in an attempt to grab the jewellery.

"We'll see Daddy and big brother soon," she murmured, cuddling the baby.

"Ba-ba!"

"Yes, brother."

Bulma leaned forward and peered through the cockpit window.

"Hey," she said. "I think we've found them."

Chi-Chi jerked upright, startling Chiyo. "Gohan!" she cried, and ran to the cockpit window.

"Go-ha," Chiyo repeated. Chi-Chi didn't hear. She was frantically scanning the ground for signs of Gohan.

_Please let my precious little boy be okay_, she prayed.

Bulma began the descent. Chi-Chi leaned forward, pressing her nose against the glass. Where was he? It was all just bare rock and dust…

_There!_

Chi-Chi gave a little scream of delight. There was Goku, lying on the ground, and Kuririn, and Gohan - he was lying on the ground! He was battered and bruised, and _naked!_

"_Oh!_" she wailed. "What have they done to my baby?"

"I'm landing now," Bulma said. She leaned slightly away from Chi-Chi, as if the other woman's hysterics were somehow contagious. "We'll be there in just a second."

The plane landed, scattering dust and rock fragments in every direction.

"_What are you waiting for?"_ Chi-Chi screamed hysterically. Chiyo began to wail. "Open that door! My baby needs me!"

"Which one?" Kamesen'nin said.

"Not this one!" Chi-Chi said, and handed her daughter to the turtle hermit. "Here, hold her for a second, will you?"

The plane door opened and Chi-Chi leapt out, crying, "I'm coming son! Mama'shere!"

"Bulma..." Kamesen'nin wheezed, holding the screaming baby at arms' length. _"Help!"_

"Oh here, give her to me," Bulma snapped. She turned the engine off and took Chiyo from the old man. "It's okay," she soothed, patting the baby's back. "There, there. Mommy's gone crazy, but it's okay."

* * *

They'd landed near the three figures they'd seen from the air - Kuririn, Goku and Gohan. But where were the others? Bulma thought Tenshinhan, Yamcha and Chaozu had fought as well…she knew what had happened from the TV (though she refused to give it any thought), but where were their…bodies?

The baby wriggled as if she wanted to get down, but Bulma knew better than to relinquish her grip. Chi-Chi was scary enough when it came to Gohan. At least he could walk by himself. She couldn't say she blamed her, though - Gohan was only five years old, after all.

Chiyo suddenly let out a cry and wriggled harder than ever. Bulma saw she was pointing at something a few feet away.

"What?" she said. "What is it?"

There was a body lying just metres away on a flat, raised part of rock. As they got closer Bulma recognized the wild mop of hair, and her heart leapt to her mouth.

"Son!" she said, and sank to her knees beside him.

Every inch of Goku was battered, bruised, cut and dirty. His dark eyes were half-closed as if he were sleepy. His face was covered in blood - most of it fresh.

"Hey, boy," Kamesen'nin said.

"We're here now," Bulma said anxiously. "You're gonna be okay."

"Sorry I can't g-get up to say hello," Goku said. His voice was faint, and a ghost of his familiar smile flickered across his face. The baby stared at him with big eyes, then tentatively reached out a hand and touched his arm. In the distance they could hear Chi-Chi wailing.

"...promise I'm never letting you out of my sight again! Oh, _Gohan_..."

Kuririn appeared, battered and bleeding like Goku, and walking with a limp. He came to a halt, sagging heavily, and sighed.

"Bulma, there's no easy way to say this," he said, looking at the ground. "But Yamcha...he didn't…didn't make it."

Bulma's lip trembled. She already knew, but having it voiced out loud hit her like a punch in the face.

"Y-yeah," she said, forcing her expression into a smile. "I know. I saw it on TV."

"The Saiyan was unbelievably strong," Kuririn said wearily. "They killed everyone, except for four of us."

"It's okay," Bulma replied, and tried to smile. "In a year we can use the Dragon Balls and bring everyone back to life."

There was a pause, in which Kuririn lowered his head. The others avoided her gaze.

"What?" Bulma said. "What is it?"

"Piccolo's dead," Goku said softly. "And because he didn't survive, neither did Kami-sama. So the Dragon Balls are gone."

"Th-that's a joke, right?" the woman looked from him to Kuririn, and laughed weakly. "You said there were four survivors. Piccolo has to be - "

"Sorry I'm alive!" shouted Yajirobe, jumping in front of Bulma. She screamed and fell backwards, prompting an indignant squeal from the baby.

"Are you saying…" Bulma gulped back the sob in her throat. "I'll never see him again…never?"

Her friends' silence confirmed it for her.

_Yamcha is dead, _her traitorous brain said_. He's dead, and you'll never see him again._

"Waaahhhhhh!" Bulma wailed, and sat down hard. "Noooooo!"

"I thought Piccolo was alive," Kamesen'nin said gravely, over the sound of Bulma's crying.

"What, you'd rather have _Piccolo_ alive than me?" Yajirobe yelled. "If it wasn't for me, these three would be dead!"

"I'm really sorry," Kuririn said. He put a hand on Bulma's shoulder. "Here, let me take the kid."

Crying wildly, Bulma relinquished hold of the baby, who began to whimper.

"Hey, don't you start," Kuririn said, and bounced the baby until she quieted. "Who is this kid? I've never seen her before."

"She's mine," Goku said faintly.

"Huh? Well, I guess she kinda looks like you." Kuririn laughed. "When d'you get the time to have 'em? This time last year you only had one."

Goku let out a wheeze of laughter, then began to cough.

"Don't make me laugh," he said after a moment. "It hurts too much. Where's Gohan?"

"Chi-Chi brought him onto the plane," Karin said. "We need to get you medical attention. I've run out of senzu beans."

* * *

"Gohan! You're awake!"

Kuririn glanced back at Chi-Chi, who until a few moments ago was hugging her unconscious son tightly. Now Gohan was sitting up in her lap, looking bewildered.

"Oh my poor baby," Chi-Chi wailed. "You must have been terrified. Don't worry, Mama's here!"

Gohan didn't look terrified, just confused. He drew the blanket around himself tighter and blinked at Kuririn, who leaned over the seat in front.

"You really got the Saiyan good," he said.

"What happened to him?"

"He ran away." Kuririn shrugged. "But we beat him up badly. Maybe he won't come back."

"Doubt it," Yajirobe muttered.

"Where's Dad?" Gohan asked, glancing around.

"I'm here," came Goku's voice from the back of the plane. "Thanks to you!"

Gohan clambered off his mother's lap and looked over the seat. Goku was lying on a mattress in the back with Yajirobe and Karin standing nearby. A black-haired baby played next to the mattress, completely oblivious to everything around her.

Yajirobe leaned in towards Chi-Chi. "Aren't you Goku's wife? Why aren't you taking care of him?"

"_Him?_" Chi-Chi snapped. "It's because of him that my son was hurt in the first place!"

"But Dad didn't - "

"My children's future is more important than the Earth!" Chi-Chi interrupted.

"Jeez, Goku…she give you lip like that at home?"

"Kuririn," Bulma interrupted. "Tell us how we can bring our friends back to life."

There was a pause, then everyone's gaze focused on Kuririn. The small fighter looked uncomfortable for a minute, then he looked down.

"The Saiyans learned of the Dragon Balls through Raditz, and this was why they came to Earth," he said. "When they saw Piccolo they said he was a Namekian…which means both Piccolo and Kami-sama were aliens."

"No kidding," Yajirobe muttered.

"More importantly, they said that some Namekians can use magic…and that they would go to Planet Namek next and get the Dragon Balls there."

"That's right!" Gohan interrupted. "They said the Nameks had Dragon Balls of their own!"

Kuririn nodded. "If we go to Namek, we can use their Dragon Balls."

"Then we can bring back the others," Karin said thoughtfully.

"Then Piccolo will come back!"

Chi-Chi's head snapped up at the mention of Piccolo's name. "Gohan, what are you talking about?"

"Then Kami-sama will too!" Kuririn said, ignoring Chi-Chi. "And so will the Dragon Balls!"

"Don't be naïve."

Gohan and Kuririn looked at Bulma, who was still flying the plane.

"Do you even know where the Planet Namek is?" she continued.

"Oh…yeah…"

"Ask the Lord of Worlds!"

Gohan looked over the back of the chair to where Goku was lying. His father grinned at him.

"You heard us, right, Lord?" he continued. "Can you tell us where Planet Namek is?"

"_Of course I can!"_

Chi-Chi let out a frightened squeak at the sudden sound of the Lord of Worlds' voice. The baby stared up at the ceiling with a puzzled look on her face.

"Please tell us, we're listening," Goku said.

"_First, you did a wonderful job. When Goku was hurt I thought it was all over."_

"I lost," Goku admitted. "Even the _kaio-ken_ didn't work on him."

"_I underestimated Vegeta's power_," the Lord of Worlds said. _"I didn't think he was so strong."_

"Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let him go."

"_Perhaps not."_

Kamesen'nin frowned. "You didn't-"

"I'll explain later," Kuririn interrupted.

There was a long silence broken only by the Lord of Worlds' muttering, which echoed oddly in the plane.

"_Let's see…Planet Namek…take SU83 then 9045YX…"_

"Take the controls, Kamesen'nin," Bulma said. "I'll do some calculations."

The old hermit sat down in the cockpit and Bulma went to the back, where she took a small calculator from her pocket and began to tap away.

"_Namek was once a planet teeming with life, but a few hundred years ago there was some catastrophe with the weather,"_ the Lord of Worlds said. _"I don't know if there were any survivors."_

"So there's no Dragon Balls?" Yajirobe asked.

"_Not so fast. Let me see…"_

"So that's why Kami-sama left Namek for Earth," Karin said. "Either he lost his memory, or he was too young to remember at all."

Yajirobe looked confused. "But if the Dragon Balls grant any wish, why couldn't the Nameks wish for normal weather?"

"Shen Long can't grant wishes that are beyond their creator's power," Kamesen'nin called from the cockpit. "Hence why he couldn't kill the Saiyans."

"_I found it!" _the Lord of Worlds exclaimed_. "The Nameks are alive_. T_here's no more than a hundred or so, but the population is increasing."  
_"Urrghh." Yajirobe shuddered. "A hundred like Piccolo Diamou?"

"_You don't have to worry. Namekians are gentle in nature like your Kami-sama. When your guardian came to Earth he was probably affected by the evil and hate in humans before he became Kami-sama. And the evil in him became the demon Piccolo."_

"Yay!" Gohan cheered. "We can go to Namek!"

"We can bring back everyone!"

"And Piccolo!"

"Optimistic!" Bulma snapped, shaking her head. "You're all too optimistic!"

A surprised silence fell over the plane. Gohan and Kuririn exchanged puzzled glanced with each other.

"There is a Planet Namek," she said, "with Nameks. But how do we get there?"

"In a space ship, of course!" Kuririn said derisively.

"Like I was saying…too optimistic! I calculated the trip time using my dad's space ship, which is the fastest on Earth. Any idea how long it would take? Four thousand, three hundred and thirty nine years. And three months."

"Four thousand thirty nine years…" Gohan repeated in disbelief.

"Lord," Goku said faintly. "What do we do now?"

"_How am I meant to know?"_

Kuririn suddenly jumped up.

"I have an idea!" he shouted. "We can use the Saiyans' space ship!"

"I thought Vegeta used it to get away," Kamesen'nin said.

"Yeah, I saw Vegeta's and it was only big enough for one person," Kuririn said. "There's another one for the other guy."

"And Raditz's," Goku said. "No, wait, Gohan destroyed it."

Gohan grinned sheepishly as his mother gave him a withering look.

"But there's still one more left," Bulma said.

"It's probably in the city where the Saiyans landed."

"That's where I come in!" Kuririn said. He reached into his shirt and pulled out a small square device that looked like a remote control. "Here - I saw Vegeta use it and his ship came to him. It's probably some type of remote control."

"Then…" Bulma began to look hopeful. "Then we have a chance!"

"Yes! To Namek!"


	3. He's Not Going!

_When we last left our friends, they were speeding Goku, Gohan and Kuririn to hospital for immediate medical attention. Bulma tried out the remote control on the other Saiyan's space ship, only to have it self-destruct. But soon they were paid a visit by Mr Popo, who took Bulma to the space ship Kami-sama arrived on Earth in…_

"It's in excellent condition," Bulma said, "and with it we can reach Namek in one month! I just have to fix it up a little. We can leave in five days."

Goku, Gohan, Kuririn, Bulma, Kamesen'nin, Karin, Yajirobe, Chi-Chi and Gyumao listened to Bulma's explanation of the ship and its location. She and Mr Popo had only been gone for an hour, but it seemed like their hopes weren't in vain after all.

"So we're going to Namek using Kami-sama's ship," Kuririn said.

Bulma nodded. "Hey, thanks for coming with us, Mr Popo."

"But Popo's not going!"

"Huh?" Bulma's mouth dropped open. "B-but…you're the only one who speaks Namekian! We can't leave without you!"

"I can't leave Kami-sama's palace for two months," Popo replied. "I can teach you the language."

"You have to go anyway, Bulma," Kuririn said. "You're the only one who can work the ship."

Sighing, Bulma nodded and rubbed her face. "Okay, I guess. I'll have to put a few things in. But," she added hastily, "I"m not going alone! Someone has to come with me."

"Two months, ain't it?" Muten Roshi said, frowning. "I'll go!"

"That would put me in more danger!" Bulma gestured to the hospital bed where Goku lay swathed in bandages. "Goku's too injured to come along. So that leaves you, Kuririn. Are you coming?"

"Well, okay...I'll lose couple months training, though." Kuririn shrugged. "And we don't know when Vegeta will be back."

"I-I want to go too!"

Gohan's voice sounded oddly loud in the silence that followed Kuririn's comment. The others turned to stare at the small boy.

"Gohan, what are you saying?" Chi-Chi demanded, frowning as she shifted baby Chiyo to her other hip. "You're not being serious, are you?"

"I am," he replied grimly, looking up at her. "I really want to go."

"Don't joke around! You won't be able to study for 2 months!"

Gohan looked uncertain for a moment, then he glanced downwards at his hands fisted in the sheets.

"I'm sorry, Mom," he said quietly. "I really want to go. I want to resurrect Piccolo."

"Really?" Goku said. "I'm proud of you, Gohan!"

"What are you talking about?" Chi-Chi snapped, rounding on her husband. "We can't let Gohan go to Namek! Who knows what might happen? He'll be away for 2 months-"

"Mom-"

"I was worried for a year, and with the baby and all-and your lessons!" she added, turning back to Gohan. "You're behind the other kids! It's not alright!"

"But Mom-"

"No! No buts! You're not going to Namek - it's out of the question! Forget Piccolo! He's just -"

"MOM!" Gohan shouted.

The entire room immediately fell silent. Chi-Chi's eyes bulged as she gaped at her son.

"Gohan-"

"We can't worry about homework now," Gohan said, staring at the bed. "We have to resurrect our friends so we can battle Vegeta. I can fight, so I can help."

Chi-Chi's shoulders drooped. Hastily Gyumao extricated the baby from her arms and patted her on the shoulder with his free hand.

"Come on, hon," he said kindly. "Let him go."

"You don't need to worry, we'll take care of him," Bulma said, as if that settled the matter. She beamed around at everyone. "So! Let's meet five days from now at Kame House, alright?"

~oOo~

"I can't _believe_ you three!"

Chi-Chi paced the length of the hospital room, up and down. Each time she passed Gohan and Kuririn, who were playing cards on the floor, the wind created by her dress whipping around scattered their cards in every direction. But they didn't complain. Chi-Chi was scary enough when she was ranting; inviting her ire by complaining would be suicide - she had already shouted herself hoarse at Kuririn when he had told her that Gohan and Goku were too sick for a lecture. Now he sat, avoiding her icy gaze, and started a new game with Gohan.

_Best not to say anything_, he thought. _I don't want her to yell at me anymore. She's crazy._

"What?" Goku said, shrugging. He was playing with Chiyo on the hospital bed. Bright eyes followed the movement of his fingers and the strip of cloth dangling from his half-bandaged hand. Fat baby hands grabbed and waved in the air, and even though the infant was no closer to grabbing the cloth than before, the game seemed to entertain her.

Normally Chi-Chi would have found it hard to be angry after hearing the sound of Chiyo's bubbling laughter. But today she was furious. Namek! In all the impossible things, now they were going to another planet?! It was bad enough that two...two aliens had come from some faraway galaxy to pummel her precious little boy and her husband. But travelling across to some other planet millions of miles away?

"He's not going," Chi-Chi said, whirling around. Cards flew in every direction and Gohan and Kuririn scrambled to pick them up for the tenth time. They both sighed.

"We need to collect the Namekian Dragon Balls," Goku explained patiently, tapping Chiyo on the nose. Over the infant's shriek of laughter he added, "Gohan needs to be there. It's important."

"He has school."

"School can wait. We have to be prepared in case Vegeta comes back. Chi-Chi, we've been over this already."

Gohan sighed. "Go fish," he told Kuririn.

"The universe can blow up for all I care!" Chi-Chi shouted, folding her arms over her chest. "Gohan's future is just as important. More important, because being a scholar is an occupation. Fighting is not."

"You don't mean that," Goku replied, but he looked uncertain.

"You'd better believe it!" she snapped. "You've only just gotten back from being dead, and now you want to take off again, with my baby no less?"

Goku scratched his head. "Yeah, that's pretty much it," he said, giving her a boyish smile.

Chi-Chi sighed and hung her head. She had no strength to shout anymore. All the worry and fear she went through that past year had condensed into several fainting fits the night before, and gave her nightmares that kept her awake until early dawn. Normally she would have ranted until Goku agreed with her, but today she just didn't have the energy. Her father had stayed overnight, looking after the baby in case she had fainted, but at ten months old Chiyo demanded a lot of attention and Chi-Chi was in no shape to care for her battered husband, son and the demands of an infant at the same time.

The only reason the baby was here was because Goku had requested to see her. Even though baby Chiyo had spent an hour playing next to him in the airplane the previous night, he had been too injured to move. And Gohan, though obviously delighted at his new sister, had been so exhausted that he had crawled into the hospital bed and fallen asleep within a minute.

If anything good had come out of the past twenty-four hours - besides being re-united with her son and Goku - it was that Chiyo had attached herself to her father and brother with a willingness uncommon in a ten-month old. Chi-Chi supposed it was a good thing. But with Goku and Gohan gone, what would her little girl think?

"What about little Chiyo?" she flashed, suddenly roused to anger at the thought. "What is she going to think when you and Gohan keep running off to some distant planet? Don't you care about your daughter at all?"

Goku looked at his wife over the top of Chiyo's dark head and frowned. Tension slowly filled the room, and sensing that the argument was on a new level, Gohan and Kuririn hurriedly packed up their cards and left the room muttering excuses about fresh air and the bathroom.

Chi-Chi brushed her fringe out of her eyes impatiently and sat down on the bed, folding her arms and waiting for his reply. Her ire was slightly diminished at her husband's seriousness; usually he would shrug her words off like they were nothing.

"That ain't a fair thing to say," Goku said. All child-like behaviour and playfulness was gone from his voice. He wasn't angry, but he didn't like what she was saying either.

Chi-Chi scooted closer to her husband, then climbed onto the bed and snuggled into his shoulder. Goku slung a bandaged arm around her shoulders and held her close. For a moment neither of them spoke.

"I missed you, Goku," Chi-Chi said quietly, taking his hand. "We are supposed to be married. We're supposed to be a family. You've been gone for a year, and Gohan's been off training somewhere, and you weren't even there at the birth of your own child."

"Well, I sure didn't expect to die when I was visitin' Kamesen'nin last year," Goku said with a wry smile. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "'Sides, I saved Gohan, didn't I?"

Chi-Chi had nothing to say to that, so she ignored it. He was right. She didn't like it when he was right.

"If we don't get the Namekian Dragon Balls, then my friends can't be wished back," Goku continued. "Especially Kami-sama. Earth needs the Dragon Balls. Gohan needs to come along. He can help. And he wants to come. Kuririn and Bulma will take care of him."

Chi-Chi stared into space. Then after a moment she said, "Do you promise to let Gohan study after you get back?"

"Yeah!"

"Then I say yes. But only if you keep your promise." She scowled up at him. "And take care of Gohan!"

"Got it!"

Goku stroked Chiyo's hair. The infant had fallen asleep on his chest and was breathing deeply, oblivious to everything around her.

"I don't think you have to worry about Chiyo," he said, smiling at Chi-Chi. "She's gonna grow up fine."


	4. The Return of Freeza

_"Bitter are the tears of a child: Sweeten them._

_Deep are the thoughts of a child: Quiet them._

_Sharp is the grief of a child: Take it from him._

_Soft is the heart of a child: Do not harden it."_

- Pamela Glenconner

_The Earth's special forces, the remaining Namekians and their Dragon Balls were brought to Earth by their Eternal Dragon Porunga, but Goku was not among them - the Saiyan warrior had stayed behind to battle Freeza on the collapsing Planet Namek._

_One hundred and thirty-one days, one Namekian year passed, and Kuririn and Yamcha were restored to life by the regenerated dragon. It was found that Porunga could not restore Son Goku, however, because he was alive._

_Another Namekian year passed, and this time it was Chaozu and Tenshinhan who were brought back to life. However when a wish was made to bring Goku to Earth he refused, saying he would return on his own in time._

_A year passed in peace..._

_August 10, 764 A.D._

Although it was the end of summer, the East District was going through a heat wave. Even the animals were nowhere to be seen, and what few residents lived on Mount Paozu were staying inside next to their air conditioners and fans, complaining about the heat.

The only person around was a little girl skipping down the mountain path dragging a bamboo basket. The road, the forests and even the mountains beyond were completely silent. The air was like breathing hot soup.

Eventually Chiyo dragged her basket to a nearby tree and flopped down in the shade, sighing. It was hot, and she was wearing far too many layers for the weather.

After a moment of rest she rolled over and began to pick through the contents of her basket. Wildflowers, strange-shaped leaves, a snake skin and a smooth rock that was a weird colour - she liked to collect things, and usually picked up relics of nature during her walks in the forest. Today was no exception, but for one thing - Mama was usually with her. This time she wandered off on her own while Mama was shouting into the phone; something about not wanting a holiday to the North Islands.

Chiyo glanced guiltily down the road, as if expecting her mother to come charging up any second. She knew she wasn't supposed to wander off by herself, but a butterfly had caught her attention…and somehow, she had found herself out here. If she could just get back home somehow without Mama seeing…

She pulled the basket onto her back and looked at the sky, sighing. Sometimes she wished she could fly like Gohan.

And speaking of big brothers…

Chiyo squinted at the expanse of blue before her. Gohan was nearby and coming straight for her. She wasn't sure how she knew, but something...a feeling...

Moments later, a white dot appeared in the sky and began to expand.

"Go-ha-a-n!" Chiyo shouted happily, running out onto the road. She waved frantically at the growing figure in the sky. The figure came closer and closer until the little girl could see him clearly. It was Gohan, all right. There was no mistaking that hair.

"Go-ha-n!" she shouted, waving. "S'me!"

Her brother stopped flying and blinked down at her, a confused expression on his face. He dropped from the sky and landed on the road in front of her, blinking dust out of his eyes.

"How'd you know it was me?"

"I jus' knew." She shrugged. "You look funny."

"Thanks," Gohan said, rolling his eyes. "Mother isn't around, is she? I thought I saw her in the kitchen before I left, but..."

Chiyo fidgeted guiltily. "Mama's still home."

"You shouldn't be out here by yourself. It's not safe."

"Take me back!" she replied brightly, holding out her arms.

He shook his head. "I can't. I have to go somewhere."

"Where?" Chiyo asked curiously.

Gohan hesitated for a second, but then began to explain how he had felt Freeza's chi.

"Remember, Freeza is the bad guy Dad fought on Planet Namek," he finished. "We thought Dad defeated him, but he's back on Earth."

"Oh."

Chiyo blinked. Most of her brother's explanation had gone completely over her head, but she understood the gist of it.

"So...th' bad man who Daddy fighted is here."

"Yeah."

"On...on Earf."

"Yes."

Chiyo held out her arms. "I wanna see," she demanded. "Let me come!"

"No!" Gohan said automatically. "It's too dangerous. "

The little girl hesitated for a moment, but didn't seem put off. "I'll be 'kay," she said, smiling. "'Be wif you."

"No." Gohan shook his head. "Mom would kill me if anything happened to you."

Chiyo's smile faded. She pouted, and for a moment Gohan thought she was going to throw a tantrum. Tantrums from Chiyo were rare, but they were an experience he never wanted to repeat. It wasn't so much that she yelled like other little kids did, she just accidentally broke stuff - like tables and Mother's favourite vase. Oh, how Mother had shouted…

"Chiyo..." he said, trying to placate her. "Big brother will take you fishing later. Okay?"

"Really?!"

"Really. Now be a good girl and get Kinto'un to take you home, okay?"

"Okay."

Chiyo watched her brother disappear before returning to the shade of the tree.

"Oh yeah," she said out loud. "Forgot 'bout Kinto'un."

Then an idea came to her. She could use Kinto-un to follow Gohan! She could come along and see what this Freeza man looked like.

Chiyo pondered the idea for a moment, tempted to go through with it.

No, she would be good, she decided. Gohan would be mad, and then he wouldn't take her fishing.

The little girl picked up her basket and called for Kinto-un. The fluffy cloud came soaring from the sky minutes later.

"Take me home, Kinto-un!" Chiyo said.

For a moment she hesitated, still tempted to make Kinto-un follow her brother. But the idea vanished when she realized she was starving. And wasn't it time for lunch...?


	5. Family Reunion

The sky was cloudless and the air hot - even the wind was warm enough that not even those wearing the lightest clothes could say they were comfortable.

But not everyone could fly.

Goku closed his eyes and lifted his face to the wind, letting it whip through his hair. The clothes from Yardrat were made for their cold planet; in summer on Earth they were sweltering.

"So, Dad," Gohan said brightly. "Are you excited about seeing Mother and Chiyo?"

"Yeah," Goku said absently. His mind was focused on food. He wondered what Chi Chi would make for lunch. Maybe noodles. Or maybe soup. Or maybe she would make fish, if he caught one. Or she might -

"Dad."

Goku blinked and looked at his son. "Uh..yeah? What is it?"

"I asked you a question, Dad." Gohan looked vaguely amused. "I asked if you think my sister remembers you."

Goku scratched his head. "Huh?"

"Chiyo!" Gohan said, surprised. "Don't you even remember her?"

"Of course I remember Chiyo." Goku grinned sheepishly. "It's just been so long since I've -"

"Seen her?"

"Nah, since I've eaten. Man, I was stuck in that spaceship for hours." Gohan laughed, and Goku reached over to ruffle his son's hair. "Let's hurry on home, okay? I bet Mom and Chiyo will want to see us."

They were flying over Mt Paozu now, and Goku saw the patches of forest that were still familiar to him. Some of the trees were still growing back from when he and Gohan had chopped them down. And nestled in a clearing in the forest was a little house with smoke rising from its chimney.

Home.

"That's Chiyo's chi," Gohan said, reading the expression on his father's face. "I'm going to catch a fish for Mom, okay? I'll be back soon."

Gohan turned towards the forest, and seconds later Goku immediately saw what he was looking for - a little dark-haired girl picking wildflowers growing outside the house.

He was used to moving quietly, so he was expecting her not to notice when he landed a few feet away - it was a surprise when she whirled on the spot, fists raised in a clumsy but recognisable defensive stance.

Gohan must have taught her that, he thought, and stepped forward. "Hello!"

The little girl just stared. Tentatively, he took another step forward, and he saw her eyes dart toward the house.

"Hey, it's oka-"

But she was already running towards the house, shouting "Mama-a-a-a!" at the top of her lungs.

Goku let his hand drop.

"Should've expected that," he muttered to himself, and started towards the house. He'd only taken a few steps when the door slammed open and Chi-Chi strode outside, wearing an apron and a scowl.

"Hi!" he said cheerfully.

Chi-Chi stopped in her tracks just outside the door, her eyes widening as she took him in.

"Am I...am I seeing a ghost?" she whispered, after a few long moments of silence.

"Nope! It's really me. I'm home."

Chi-Chi launched herself into his arms, laughing and crying at once, and he hugged her close. Over her shoulder he caught a glimpse of his daughter hovering by the door, staring wide-eyed at them.

"I think we have an audience," he whispered, as she drew his face down to hers.

"Chiyo, come here," Chi-Chi said, and picked up the toddler when she obeyed. "This is your daddy. Say hi."

"Hi," Chiyo said, then covered her face with a chubby hand.

Chi-Chi lifted her, and suddenly Goku found himself with an armful of toddler, who looked as surprised as he was.

"When's lunch?" he asked. "I'm starving."

Chi-Chi laughed through her tears and stepped back. "It'll be at least another twenty minutes. Why don't you find Gohan? He took off a while ago."

"He went to catch a fish for you," Goku replied. "I'll go find him." He put Chiyo down as she began to wriggle, and watched her run back to the wildflowers.

"Her room is going to look like a forest if she doesn't stop bringing back things from the forest," Chi-Chi said. She sighed, and went back into the house, and Goku began to walk towards the woods.

"Papa!"

He stopped and turned around. Chiyo abandoned the wildflowers and ran on chubby legs towards him.

"Can I come?" she said breathlessly, when she caught up to him. "Pease?"

"Of course you can," Goku said, and they began to walk. Chiyo had to run to keep up with his big strides, but she didn't seem to mind - she kept up a steady stream of chatter along the way, apparently intending to tell him her whole life story as well as about all the things she found in the woods and that Grampa had come over just a few hours ago and how there she found a nest of dinosaurs up near the cliffs and -

"Chiyo," Goku said, interrupting the little girl after five minutes of non-stop talking. She stopped and blinked up at him curiously, and he hesitated for a moment.

"Has Gohan taught you anything? Any martial arts?"

Chiyo blinked. "No. How come?"

"No reason."

She seemed satisfied with that answer, and began to talk again. Goku let her chatter away, only half-listening.

The chi he'd felt from her when he'd first landed had been sizeable - higher than Gohan's at the same age, and he wondered just how powerful she could become. Perhaps with time and experience...Chi-Chi would say no, but if he could convince her otherwise, then they would have one more fighter on their side.


	6. Hidden Potential

Goku awoke at dawn with the first rays of sunlight shining on his face. For a moment he thought he was still on Planet Yardrat, sleeping in their weird, pod-like beds. But someone stirred beside him, and he smiled. No, he was back on Earth, on Mt Paozu, at home.

Goku rolled over and buried his face in his wife's hair.

_Maybe I'll stay in bed a while longer,_ he thought, sliding an arm around Chi-Chi's waist. _Just a bit longer..._

CRASH!

Both adults jerked upright as the sound of breaking glass reached their ears.

"Chiyo," Chi-Chi muttered, throwing back the bed covers. She left the room hurriedly, tossing her hair over her shoulder and leaving Goku to follow behind, scratching his head.

The rest of the house was quiet; obviously Gohan wasn't up yet. Goku took a left turn in the hallway and went into his son's room.

"Time to get up, son!" he said cheerfully, throwing open the curtains. Sunlight flooded in and the pile of blankets on the bed moved.

"Mgm mff," it said.

Goku blinked. "Huh?"

Gohan pulled the pillow off his head. "I said, I'm getting - "

A bloodcurdling scream rent the air. Gohan and Goku jumped violently, glanced at each other, then scrambled for the door.

The screams, growing increasingly hysterical, came from the kitchen. Goku and Gohan raced down the hallway, certain that something was really wrong. They both skidded to a halt at the kitchen doorway, almost crashing into Chi-Chi.

"What's the problem?" Goku asked.

Chi-Chi raised a trembling hand and pointed. Her face was ashen.

Little Chiyo stood in the kitchen, surrounded by broken glass. Honey covered almost all of her hair, dripped onto her face and down her pajamas. Under the sticky ooze, she wore a guilty expression.

"Did I miss something, Dad?" Gohan said. "Why is Chiyo covered in honey?"

"I...don't know."

"Chiyo," Chi-Chi spluttered. She seemed at a loss for words. "What…what happened?!"

"Um..." Chiyo looked around at the mess on the kitchen floor. "Jar fell down."

Chi-Chi screamed again. Within seconds she was kneeling in front of her daughter, inspecting her for injuries.

Goku looked from the broken glass to Chiyo and back again. "She has a pretty hard head, doesn't she?" he asked Gohan.

"I guess," Gohan said, shrugging. "It's not the first time she's got into the cupboards and knocked stuff over."

Goku stepped around his wife and began to pick up the broken glass on the floor, all the while watching his daughter closely. She was rubbing the top of her head, even though this just squished the oozing honey into her hair even more. Far from being worried about her, he found himself trying not to laugh.

"And you don't feel dizzy," Chi-Chi was saying, running fingers over the little girl's dark head.

"No."

"Your head doesn't hurt?"

"Little."

"And you're not bleeding, anywhere?"

"No." Chiyo wore a look of exasperation. "I'm okay."

Chi-Chi sat back on her haunches, frowning. "Well," she said. "Why were you in the cupboard? You should know better than to eat before breakfast."

Chiyo blinked. "I was lookin' f' paint." She stuck a chubby hand in the mess dripping down her head and licked her fingers tentatively. "But this's honey, I fink."

Goku and Gohan both muffled snorts of laughter with their hands. Chiyo wrapped her sticky arms around Chi-Chi's neck.

"Is betfus soon, Mama? I'm hungry."

Chi-Chi sighed. "Soon," she said. "But we can't have you looking like Miss Bumblebee with all that honey over you, can we? Goku, would you give Chiyo a bath?"

Chiyo giggled. "I wanna be a bumblebee!"

Goku dropped the glass into the bin and swept his small daughter into his arms. "Come on, bumblebee, let's go. I'm starvin' already!"

~oOo~

Half an hour later at breakfast, Chiyo would not stop talking. She chattered non-stop to Goku, bombarding him with questions which he answered in between mouthfuls of rice and noodles. He answered her questions about Planet Namek, martial arts and any other topic with patience and some enthusiasm. After ten minutes, Chi-Chi put a stop to it.

"For heaven's sake, let Daddy eat in peace!" she said, half-laughing. "You have the whole day to ask questions."

"Eh, I don't mind," Goku replied, grinning. He placed an empty bowl on the stack beside him.

"More please!" he and Gohan said in unison.

Chi-Chi served Gohan and Goku more rice; only after then was she able to actually sit and have her own breakfast. Serving breakfast - and lunch, and dinner - was nothing short of a catastrophe at the Son house. Fortunately, Chi-Chi was well-prepared for it. Cooking began well before the actual meal was served, and if it was more hard work than for a normal family, she didn't mind. She'd known nothing else.

Breakfast finished after twenty minutes and Goku and Gohan left, calling goodbyes and leaving Chi-Chi and Chiyo staring after them.

"I'd forgotten how many dishes I have to do with Goku back," Chi-Chi muttered, staring glumly at the immense pile of chinaware stacked on the table.

"Can I help?" Chiyo said brightly, tugging on her mother's skirt.

"No," Chi-Chi replied, smiling. "It's fine. You go and play. And don't bother Daddy and Gohan when they're training!"

"Okay."

"Promise?"

But Chiyo was already out the door. Chi-Chi heard her shout, "Kinto'un!"; moments later she was gone.

Chi-Chi knew better than to believe her daughter would stay away from Goku and Gohan. She could only hope Goku would be a responsible father and send her home before she got hurt.

~oOo~

Awareness returned as suddenly as a light snapping on. Gohan sat up, dazed, blinking groggily in the sunlight. A familiar face came into view.

"Welcome back," Goku said cheerfully.

Gohan sat up, blushing as he remembered what had happened.

"I'm sorry," he said.

His father waved away the apology. "Let's resume," he said, giving his son a slightly lopsided grin. "And I'll try not to knock you out this time."

"It won't be so easy next time," Gohan replied, using Goku's hand to pull himself up.

They resumed their training, and Gohan fought with renewed vigour.

_Gohan's gotten so strong,_ Goku thought proudly, as he blocked kicks and punches from his son._ He'll be better than me someday!_

He was so distracted that he hardly registered the small fist smashing into his cheek. His head whipped back, and in that moment he caught sight of a little girl sitting on a cliff, some distance away.

Chiyo. And Haiya Dragon, unless he was mistaken.

"Dad?"

Goku rubbed his neck, surprised to find that it ached slightly.

"Sorry," he said. "I got distracted." He ruffled his son's hair. "You sure pack a punch, though."

Gohan beamed at the praise. "Are we continuing, Dad?"

"Yeah." Goku nodded to Piccolo, who was waiting impatiently a short distance away. He glanced at Chiyo for a moment before turning his attention to training. She was still watching, although it was too far away to see what she thought of it.

I will definitely have to talk to Chi-Chi tonight, Goku thought. I can't put it off, otherwise Chiyo might fall behind.

That is, if Chi-Chi agreed to let him train her only daughter. And thinking of how she had reacted when Gohan fought Vegeta and Nappa, it wasn't looking good.

~oOo~

"You want to WHAT?!"

Chi-Chi reacted exactly like he expected her to.

It was after dinner and the world's strongest man was standing at the kitchen sink up to his elbows in dish water. Chi-Chi often made him and Gohan do the dishes. Tonight Gohan had homework to do, so he got out of it. Chiyo had offered to help, but was told to go and play - according to Chi-Chi, she broke twice as many dishes as she washed.

Chi-Chi gripped the plate in her hands until her knuckles turned white. Gingerly Goku leaned away from her, as if he thought she would break it over his head any moment.

"So, let me get this straight," his wife said. "You want to train Chiyo to be a fighter like you and Gohan."

"Yeah."

"So she can help you fight these…Androids."

"Yes," Goku said nervously.

Chi-Chi turned her back on him and began to dry dishes in silence. After a minute she sighed. "Goku, you know I could never deny you anything," she said. "But why does it have to be Chiyo? She's my only daughter. You already made Gohan obsessed with fighting, and now Chiyo?"

"Gohan still does 'is homework, don't he?" Goku countered. "'Sides, it's only for the fight. We need all the help we can get. And," he added, "she could end up hurting herself if she doesn't learn to control her chi." That was only half-true, so Goku hoped she would buy it.

"You can't train her now," Chi-Chi said without turning around. "She's only a baby. You can't expect her to understand chi or how to defend herself."

"Of course not," Goku said hastily. "I won't train her now. Just give her some exercises...so when she's ready, she won't find it so hard..."

"And you'll let her study when she's old enough?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Then I say yes." Chi-Chi whirled around, shaking the drying towel at Goku. "But if she gets hurt in any way...!"

"She'll be fine!" Goku said, throwing his hands up automatically. Dirty water sprayed over the both of them, and Chi-Chi's eyes narrowed. To avoid her ire, he went back to washing the dishes.

_Chi-Chi's right_, Goku thought, fishing a broken cup out of the sink. _I can't really train Chiyo when she's this young. But she'll grow._


	7. The Gathering

"_Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace."_

- Amelia Earheart

_Three years passed, in which Earth's special forces devoted their time to preparing for the arrival of the Androids, as predicted by the mysterious youth they had met on the day of Goku's return - the boy who destroyed Freeza and King Kold effortlessly._

_Finally the morning of May 12th, 767 A.D. arrived, and Goku, Gohan, Piccolo and Chiyo found themselves flying over the southern ocean to an island nine kilometres southwest of South City..._

May 12th, 767 A.D.

Chiyo was nervous.

The Androids were to arrive that day on an island, sometime in the early morning. She knew that much. She was not, however, nervous about the Androids - in her mind, she held no doubt that her father would beat them. She was nervous because it was her first real fight.

For three years she'd trained every day. For the first year, Papa had given her exercises - things like chi control and defense, and a lot of climbing and flying. Looking back on that time, Chiyo knew that as a two year old - a baby, really - she wouldn't have known anything about fighting. But that was three years in the pas. She was five and a half now, and as ready as she'd ever be.

"Slow down, Gohan!" Goku called. "We have plenty of time to get there without going full blast. Save your energy."

Gohan was speeding ahead, probably anxious to get to the fight before the Androids arrived on the scene. Goku thought back to earlier that morning, when they had left. The clock in the kitchen had said ten to nine...now what time was it? It didn't take that long to fly to the island, but it was better to be too early than too late.

"Right," Gohan said, and began to slow down.

"Son Goku, what is your opinion?" Piccolo rumbled. "The truth: do you think we can defeat these foes?"

"How should I know?" Goku replied, smirking. "I haven't even seen 'em yet! I'll let you know after we try it."

"Well, aren't you happy-go-lucky?" Piccolo continued, his scowl deepening. "I don't doubt my own power, but I have a feeling I can't shake…a feeling of doom."

"Well, don't push yourself if things get too tough! Remember that the Dragon Balls will disappear if you die."

Piccolo folded his arms over his chest and said nothing.

Goku glanced back over his shoulder and smiled at Chiyo, who was flying two feet behind him and Piccolo.

"Are you keepin' up okay?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"It was foolish to bring the child along," Piccolo said, not troubling to keep his voice lowered.

"Why? She trained like we did. She'll be fine."

"If you say so, Son."

Piccolo turned his gaze on the islands falling away beneath them. "I think she'll get in the way," he added, ever the blunt one.

Chiyo scowled at the back of his head, but said nothing. The Namekian was scary at the best of times; it was best not to get him madder than he already was.

"Dad! I can see Kuririn!"

She glanced up at Gohan's shout and caught a glimpse of a man in orange clothes flying towards them.

Kuririn. She remembered him - another of Papa's friends who fought with him. She'd only ever seen him in regular clothes, and the sight of him in a gi was...odd, to say in the least.

"Hey!" Kuririn called. "Long time no see!"

"Hey!" Goku replied, flying ahead to meet him. "Why the long face? Not happy to see us after all this time?"

"How happy can I be when I'm about to launch a battle to the death with a gang of androids?" Kuririn said, frowning. "We're not all Super Saiyans, y'know…"

Chiyo sped up, passing Goku and Piccolo, and weaving around Gohan.

"Chiyo!" Kuririn said, as she blew past him. "I didn't expect-" he cut himself off, glancing at Goku. "Er, do you think it's a good idea to bring her along?"

"She'll be fine. I've been training her up."

"Really? Well, if you say so. She's your kid." Kuririn turned around, squinting at the horizon. "Nine kilometers southwest of South City…that's gotta be it!"

Sure enough a large island appeared, dwarfing the other inhabited islands that dotted the south ocean. The group stopped and took a moment to observe it from above. Much to their dismay, most of the island was covered by a large and bustling city.

"It's a pretty big island," Goku muttered, his sharp eyes picking out the skyscrapers and apartment blocks. It was a large city alright, and they couldn't hope to evacuate it in time for the Androids' arrival.

"We've got to lure the Androids someplace else," Gohan said, voicing his father's thoughts. "Otherwise the people on the island could get hurt."

"Yeah."

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves," Kuririn warned. "We have to find these Androids first."

There was a rock ledge jutting out above the city, and Chiyo could make out two or three people on it, tiny like ants.

"Papa," she said, and tugged on Goku's pants leg. "There are people down there."

"Good eyes, Chiyo," Goku said, smiling. "It looks like Yamcha and Tenshinhan. Let's go."

Chiyo followed the rest of the group toward the ledge. The nervousness she had been feeling all morning was melting away, but shyness was replacing it. She was not usually prone to shyness, but she recognised none of the people now waving to their group from the ledge, and she was used to her isolated mountain home, so it came without warning.

As they landed she resisted the urge to cling to her Papa's leg - she wasn't a baby, after all. Instead she hovered close to him, quietly observing the other people they had just joined. They all looked vaguely familiar - once, her Papa had shown her a photograph taken at the Tenkaichi Budoukai, when he was younger, and these people had been in it. The bald, three-eyed man...the tall dark-haired man with a gi like the ones her Papa used to wear, and the blue-haired woman...except now the woman was carrying a plump, pouting baby.

"Is Bulma actually carrying…what I think she's carrying…?" Kuririn said, staring in disbelief.

"You and Yamcha got married!" Gohan exclaimed, grinning.

"Don't blame this on me," Yamcha grunted. "We broke up a long time ago. You're not going to believe who the father is."

Goku laughed and leaned in to see the baby. "It's Vegeta," he said. "Isn't it, Trunks?"

"H-how'd you know that?" Bulma said, scowling. "I h-haven't told anyone yet!"

Chiyo tugged on her brother's sleeve. "Gohan, who's Vegeta?" she asked quietly.

"Uh…well…he looks like him!" Goku replied, laughing. "S-something about the eyes, maybe…?"

"But you even got his name right," Bulma said, raising an eyebrow at him.

Goku let out a laugh made high-pitched from nervousness. "R-really? Wow! Maybe I'm psychic!"

Kuririn made a choking sound. "Is he…r-really V-vegeta's…?!"

"Kuririn, who's Vegeta?" Chiyo asked him in a whisper.

"Is this any time to catch up on family gossip?" Piccolo interrupted. "Where is Vegeta? That's what matters now!"

"How should I know?" Bulma said, looking exasperated. "You think I'd live with that jerk? But don't worry, he'll come. He was training hard for this fight. " She looked fondly at the baby nestled in her arms. "I probably lost track of the time."

"He'll come," Goku said confidently. "I know he will."

"I left Chaozu behind," Tenshinhan commented, folding his arms over his chest. "We both trained…but frankly, he wouldn't be able to keep up with this battle."

"Yeah, it's better that way."

"Who's Vegeta?" Chiyo said impatiently, raising her voice. It worked. Everyone's eyes turned to her, and they seemed to realize she was there for the first time.

"Son, you..." Bulma trailed off, looking puzzled. Then her eyes widened in sudden recognition. "Is that who I think it is?"

Chiyo's cheeks burned as every pair of eyes suddenly fixed on her. The other men looked startled, like they hadn't even noticed her, and Goku gave her a gentle push towards Bulma.

"I haven't seen you since you were a baby," Bulma said, smiling. "Do you remember me?"

Chiyo only vaguely remembered the woman, but she didn't want to be rude. "Yes!" she said, and bowed politely. "Hello!"

"I can't believe how much you've shot up." Bulma shifted her baby to her other hip and ruffled Chiyo's hair. "Have you come to watch Dad and Gohan fight too?"

"No! I'm fighting too!"

Goku and Gohan grinned. Piccolo's expression didn't change, though Kuririn, Tenshinhan and Yamcha looked rather startled - as did Bulma.

"Oh," she said, giving Goku a puzzled and somewhat disapproving look. "I see."

"Bulma," Gohan interrupted. "What time is it now?"

"Let's see…9:30," she replied, glancing at her watch. "They should appear in about half an hour."

"You should go home while you can. Especially since you brought your baby!" Goku warned. "They'll be here soon!"

"I said, I'll go once I see the Androids!"

Tenshinhan approached Piccolo, who was standing on the edge of the outcrop.

"Only thirty minutes to go," he said, staring thoughtfully at the city below.


	8. Death of Fear

Ten minutes passed and the group occupied themselves in any way they could. Piccolo and Tenshinhan seemed content to stand on the edge of the outcropping and gaze down into the city, as if the Androids would suddenly reveal themselves. Yamcha was still sitting on the ground scowling, deep in thought. Chiyo was playing with a frog in the grass, making it dance to the tune of a children's song. Goku, Gohan and Kuririn were gathered around Bulma and baby Trunks, who they were trying their best to amuse.

Kuririn was pulling a truly dreadful face at a laughing Trunks when Piccolo growled, "Someone's coming this way. I sense no malice."

Immediately a tense silence fell over the group and all laughter died. Chiyo trailed off in mid-rhyme and glanced up at the sky. Someone with a small chi was approaching them. It couldn't be the Androids, could it? They would be stronger than that, surely.

And yet, Papa had always told her that some people could suppress their chi. She searched the sky anxiously for some sign, anything…

Goku's frown vanished as an air car shot from the expanse of blue and landed smoothly on the outcropping.

"Oh!" he cried. "Did you come to fight too, Yajirobe?"

Chiyo stared. Yajirobe was a small, fat little man with a mop of dark hair. He didn't look particularly strong at all, even with the katana he carried on his belt.

"Are you serious?" Yajirobe said rudely, staring at Goku as if he were insane. "I just brought these senzu seeds from Master Karin!"

"Thanks!" Goku replied enthusiastically, accepting the bag of beans. "Great! You can always count on Master Karin!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going."

Goku blinked at him. "You sure you don't wanna stay an' help?"

"Unlike you idiots, I don't want to die," Yajirobe snapped, climbing back into his plane. "There's times even I won't join you!"

_He wasn't very nice_, Chiyo thought, staring at the plane as it flew away. _But at least he wasn't a Android._

"There's something wrong…" Tenshinhan said, still staring down at the city. "It's past ten already, but there's no sign of the enemy at all..."

"I forgot about the time," Gohan murmured.

"I told you from the start it was some kind of trick," Yamcha said. He was standing with the group now, arms crossed, with a sceptical expression on his scarred face. "Androids. That's pretty good."

"He said around ten," Bulma chimed in, checking her watch. "It's only 10:17. Which I would group under "around"."

"But I can't feel a single strong chi," Yamcha replied, smirking. "If they're that powerful, we should be able to feel them no matter where on Earth they are!"

Then the world blew apart, or at least that's what it seemed to Chiyo; a massive shockwave all but knocked her over and a roar of sound reached her ears. She had never heard anything so loud in her life. She dropped the frog she had been playing with a moment before and clapped her hands over her ears, whimpering in fear; her knees turning to jelly.

It was only when the light and sound died away that she realized Yajirobe's skycar had blown up and was falling into the ocean, and that two figures had suddenly appeared in the sky as if by magic. As she watched they dived and were lost among the tall buildings of the island city.

Chiyo forced herself to stand up, even though her knees still trembled from the shock. All around her the rest of the group were jabbering in voices tense with fear and anticipation.

"I don't know..." Kuririn was saying. "Goku, did you see them?"

"No! I couldn't tell what they looked like," Goku replied. He was tenser than Chiyo had ever seen him; hunched over and scanning the city like the others. "I don't get it! I-I didn't feel any chi at all!"

"It's…it's because they're Androids," Gohan said slowly, "they don't have any chi!"

"Are you serious?" Yamcha said, his voice rising an octave. "H-how are we supposed to find them if we can't sense their chi?"

"If we can't feel their chi, we'll have to find them by sight," Piccolo growled.

"Yeah," Goku said, nodding. He straightened his shoulders and his voice took on a tone of authority. "All right! Let's all spread out – but don't corner them! Bulma?" He tossed the bag of senzu seeds to her. "Look after the senzu. If anyone finds them, let everyone know right away! Gohan," he added, "you go see to Yajirobe. He's still alive!"

"Okay!"

Chiyo waited unhappily for her Papa to tell her to stay on the ledge with Bulma, or to go home, or to go with Gohan. After all, if Gohan wasn't looking for the Androids, then why should she be allowed to?

But he said nothing, only glanced at her briefly before nodding to his friends.

"Let's go!" Piccolo said.

The entire group took off. Chiyo was about to pick an area of the city to check when she heard her father shout, "Chiyo, stay with me!"

Confused, she followed behind as he and Kuririn headed for the north-west section of the city.

"Kuririn, let's check down there," Goku told his friend, pointing to a network of buildings in their section of the city.

The three of them landed and looked over the area quickly. No sign of the Androids - not that she knew what they were supposed to look like. She'd assumed the others would know.

"Chiyo, check over in that area," Goku instructed, pointing to a small garden nearby. "Stay in my sight. If you see anyone really weird, raise your chi. Okay?"

"Okay!"

Chiyo jumped off the balcony they were standing on. It was a four metre drop, but she landed lightly on her feet and sprinted off.

It wasn't the easiest thing, looking for any sign of something she couldn't possibly recognise in the first place. Goku had told her some time ago that bad people could come in all shapes and sizes, just like good people...but what was a robot person even supposed to look like in the first place?

Beyond the garden was a road and she began to comb the area, breaking into a jog on the sidewalk.

Ten minutes passed and Chiyo began to get frustrated. She was lost, and she knew Papa would be angry when she next saw him. She had gone too far, and there were people staring at her as she wandered down the sidewalk.

Ka-BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The shockwave of the sudden explosion was much larger than when Yajirobe's skycar had blown up - this explosion was far closer. The air roared around her, tearing at her clothes and hair and hurting her ears; she covered them as people screamed and ran around her -

Then out of nowhere, a chi flared. It was only vaguely familiar, and it wasn't as strong as her Papa's or Gohan's. But it was draining very quickly; as if someone had been using a lot of chi, or they were hurt. Had they caused the explosion?

Whether they had or not, she had to find out.

Chiyo focused on the chi, rising into the air and ignoring the startled gasps of the people remaining in the area. She took off and flew with all her speed, concentrating only on the chi, though it was fading fast.

Then suddenly she was there, above the place where the person's chi was. The air was thick with smoke; there were piles of debris and flames everywhere, and it was hot.

She hesitated. She hated fire more than anything, even in fireplaces, even in the tiny bonfires that her Papa would light outside sometimes.

But someone was either very tired or somehow very hurt; she couldn't just leave a wounded person, especially not when the Androids could be around. She gathered her courage and began to descend.

Smoke swirled around Chiyo and it began to get uncomfortably hot as she got nearer to the ground. The thick air made her throat itch unbearably, but she forced herself not to give away any sign that she was there.

She landed. The ground was almost burning her feet through her soft shoes. Flames raged around her.

Something big exploded, she thought, glancing around. She didn't have to look far for the perpetrators – not five metres away were the Androids.

They were dressed in the oddest clothes; puffy sleeves and big shoes like the clowns who performed in the circus. One was a thin old man with a lot of white hair and a moustache. The other was fat with a stark white face. Their eyes were cold and inhuman.

At ground level the heat was almost unbearable; sweat poured down her face, the smoke made her eyes sting and water, and her feet were burning.

And there was that man.

The old man was holding him up by one hand clamped around his face. That man Yamcha - who was as tall as her Papa, and he was tall - dangled like a broken doll, arms limp at his sides. The back of his shirt was torn and blood dripped onto the pavement.

"Put him down!" she shouted, and took a step closer. "You want to fight someone - fight someone who can hit back!"

The Androids turned their blank faces towards her, and a wave of nauseating fear made her stomach clench. She knew they were like robots, but apart from the eyes they looked so human. She'd never fought another human being before.

The fat Android's eyes flashed red. "There is a 95% probability that this is a descendant or relative of Son Goku."

Chiyo's eyes widened. How did they know her father's name?

"Human, sub-class A identified as Son Chiyo," the fat man continued.

Startled, Chiyo took a step back. "How do you know my name?"

"We know everything about you," the fat Android replied with a smirk.

She looked from the Androids to Yamcha. He was losing blood still. She had to do something, quickly.

"Put him down," she said, unable to hide the quiver in her voice. "Put Yamcha down!"

The old man's emotionless eyes settled on the little girl.

"Son?" he murmured to his companion. "Perhaps the child will know where Son Goku is."

"Perhaps," the fat man replied. His lips curved upward into a smirk.

The old man moved forward a step, still holding Yamcha aloft. Chiyo took a step back, her throat closing in fear.

_He's gonna kill me_, she thought, panicking, and her eyes darted from side to side. Flames trapped her on either side, and there was the other Android to contend with if she tried to escape.

_Get a hold of yourself!_

The voice in her mind was harsh, and sounded like Papa - she knew he would never talk to her like that, but she grimaced anyway.

Papa said it was okay to be afraid, she remembered, and stopped in her tracks. And what else could she do? Run away and leave Yamcha to die? What would Papa and Gohan think of that?

Her momentary lapse into fear made her angry, though she wasn't quite sure why.

"Put - him - down!" she repeated, and began to gather her chi. "Now!"

The old man continued to look her up and down. He seemed to be deaf to her words, or perhaps he didn't care. Then -

"Very well."

He tossed Yamcha onto the ground carelessly, and Chiyo winced as he hit the ground with a dull thud. She darted forward and seized him under the arms, pulling him away from the Androids. They watched her carefully, but did nothing.

"Yamcha," she whispered. His head was heavy, and it lolled to one side as she turned his face towards her. His eyes were open, and staring into their emptiness gave her chills.

Where was Papa and the others? Surely they would have felt something by now - anything!

She couldn't leave, or the Androids might disappear. More people could get hurt. But if she left Yamcha, he would die.

She would have to stall them.

Chiyo closed her eyes, glanced one more time at Yamcha, and faced her enemy.


	9. Gero's Grudge

"You are a foolish child."

Chiyo bristled at the insult, but didn't answer him. Instead she began to increase her chi, slowly to conserve energy, while forcing herself to take another step closer. The older Android stared at her, moustache curled up in a smirk, and behind her Yamcha was losing blood fast.

The Android stepped forward. She stepped back. Seconds passed, and in those moments Chiyo sensed chi coming towards her. She breathed a sigh of relief. Someone landed behind her, their shoes barely made a sound. Then another and another.

One chi was familiar. Two weren't. And the other was Papa; she knew his chi almost as well as she knew her own.

In that moment Chiyo sprang forward, and the Android blocked her blow with his forearm. She parried the punch that followed, her mind racing ahead to form a plan, searching for weak points.

She bent backwards and the Android's fist punched air, barely missing her. She pulled herself upright and drew her fist back, ready to return the blow -

The kick caught her unawares, faster than she expected. She was knocked flying, a rush of blistering air and a feeling of disorientation that didn't help.

She flipped in mid-air and landed, skidding backwards along the ground, cheek hurting but otherwise unharmed.

"Chiyo, wait!" Goku said, as she readied herself. "Kuririn. Yamcha's still alive. I left the senzu seeds back with the others - take him and give him one!"

"Okay!" Kuririn replied. He pulled Yamcha up and slung a limp arm over his shoulders, glaring angrily at the Androids.

Chiyo watched as Kuririn flew away with Yamcha.

_I hope Yamcha will be okay_, she thought, wincing as her cheek began to throb. _I know I'll be okay; I just wish I hadn't let my guard down._

"So, these are the Androids," Piccolo rumbled. "We get to see you at long last…"

"Interesting. You know that we are mechanical," the old man replied. He had a formal tone that was somewhat clipped. "And you seemed to know that we would appear here. Why? Answer me."

"Sorry…you'll have to beat it out of us."

"We will do that."

Tenshinhan, Goku, Piccolo and Chiyo readied themselves. Tension made the air crackle - or maybe that was just the heat. The flames roared at their back, and the thick smoke was now almost suffocating.

"Wait!" Goku said. "There's too many innocent people here. Let's move to a deserted area. You got that?"

"A deserted area," said the old man, "Fine. But we won't need to move."

Without warning twin beams shot from the Android's eyes and into the wall of flames, barely missing Goku and Tenshinhan.

There was another explosion, and another - the Android was blasting every building in sight. Chi blasts blew concrete apart, showered glass over the road and roasted people alive. Screams erupted as people ran panicking through the streets, scrambling over each other to get away from the superheated rock and glass the explosions flung in every direction.

Although the group could not see the mass panic in the city, they could hear the piteous cries of those trapped in buildings lit on fire, and the shrieks of those half-crushed by falling debris.

"_Stop it!_" Chiyo screamed at the old man. "Stop killing them!"

In the split second that she moved Goku surged forward, striking the old man in the face with a shout of anger.

The Android stumbled, caught off guard; his hat fell to the ground with a _clunk_. He caught himself before falling and calmly picked it up.

"Bastard!" Goku spat.

Chiyo's eyes widened; she had only heard the word used on TV once before, and that was before Mama had told her never to say it. She had never heard her family swear before, and so was surprised that her father even knew it.

"You said you wanted a deserted area," the old man replied, placing his hat carefully over the glass dome that covered most of his head. "I was only aiming to please."

"Follow us!" Goku shouted. "We'll tear you to pieces!"

The fat Android smirked. "You cannot defeat us."

Chiyo scanned her surroundings. Surely they hadn't blown up the entire city? There had to be some people around still...

"But we will follow you," the old man said. "Choose your place of death, Son Goku."

That didn't surprise her. If the Androids knew her name it made sense he would know who Goku was. The others, however, weren't prepared for it.

"H-how did he know Goku's name?" Tenshinhan demanded.

"We know you all," the old man said. "Piccolo…and Tenshinhan, was it? Not to mention Son Goku's girl child."

Goku stared at the old man. He didn't seem very surprised that the Androids knew his name, but his face gave nothing away as usual.

"We'll ask questions later," he said, and took off. "Let's go!"

~oOo~

"That's enough, Son Goku. What more do you need to see?"

The group - Tenshinhan, Goku, Piccolo, Chiyo and the two Androids - were flying over the southern ocean. Goku was in front, leading the Androids away from any place inhabited by people. The old man had blown up half the city, which was more than enough damage for one day.

It was the older Android who had spoken. Goku ignored him and kept flying forward.

Abruptly, the old man and his companion stopped. Chiyo barely avoided crashing into Piccolo as he and Tenshinhan came to a halt. Goku turned around, glaring at the old man.

"This is good," said the old man. "Stop here. It's not up to you to choose where we fight."

Both Androids began to descend feet first. The rest of the group followed reluctantly.

Chiyo took note of her surroundings as she followed the men downwards. There was hardly any grass around - the ground looked rocky, with a lot of outcroppings and canyons. It was dusty and dry, though thankfully not as hot as it had been in the city.

"We must not underestimate them," Piccolo said, his eyes trained on the Androids.

Goku gave him a brief nod. He seemed out of breath for some reason, though Chiyo couldn't think of why. Perhaps he was tired from the flight? But she'd never seen him tired before, at least not enough to be out of breath.

"Tell me something before we fight," Goku said. "How do you know about us?"

"There's no harm in answering," the old man replied, his moustache twitching. "Though you may regret ever having asked.

"We have been watching you for a long time, Son Goku, with tiny, bug-like robot spies. During the "Strongest Under the Heavens" martial arts tournaments…and the battles with Piccolo and Vegeta…

Chiyo's attention span ran out as the Android talked about the tracking devices they'd used, and she let her gaze wander around the area, looking for anything that could be useful in a fight. The place was rocky and windy and silent. There had to be a reason why they'd chosen it.

"A grudge against me, huh?" Goku said wryly, and Chiyo turned her attention back to the conversation.

"Because of you, the Red Ribbon Army's dream of conquering the world was snuffed," the Android said. "Only Dr. Gero remained."

"You're talking like Dr. Gero yourself," Piccolo said.

The old man turned his head towards him. "Ridiculous," he replied calmly. "I am Android Number Twenty. Dr. Gero is no more."

"Uh-huh," Goku said. "But did you spy on me on Planet Namek, too?"

"There was no need. By then we had a complete understanding of your strength and skills. Even projecting the most extreme rate of improvement for an adult combatant, we know the extent of the power that you might conceivably wield."

Goku nodded thoughtfully, staring at Twenty. Then suddenly, he smirked.

"Too bad you guys didn't stick with your project," he said. "You missed something."

The old man did not respond, except to narrow his eyes.

"A fatal mistake," Piccolo said, "not to know about the Super Saiyan."

"Super Saiyan?" Chiyo muttered.

"Super Saiyan?" the old man echoed.

Then Goku screamed, and his chi surged to a level Chiyo had never felt before; a level she had never dreamed could be possible in anyone. His hair was standing straight up on end, blown about as if by wind, but there was no breeze. His eyes turned green, his hair turned blonde, and at the same time a golden aura exploded around him, throwing up dust and leaving a crater in the ground.

"That is Super Saiyan," Piccolo said, with a satisfied smirk on his face.

Chiyo shrank back automatically. She had heard, once or twice, Gohan mentioning something about a Super Saiyan, but she had never dreamed of a transformation like this. Far from exciting her or inspiring awe it scared her; it was as if something vital was stripped away from her father, leaving only a coldness that showed in his eyes.

"Stay out of this," Goku said quietly to the group. "I'm the one they want!"

Twenty narrowed his eyes. "I see."

"This technique is not in my data," the other Android said.

"Nor in mine." Twenty turned back to Goku. "It does seem that you've managed quite an improvement. Your power far surpasses the calculated limits…fortunately, we're up to it. Even Nineteen can handle power like this. And so, of course, can I."

"Oh, really?" Goku replied. "Let me find that out for myself!"


	10. Mystery Illness

_"Nothing endures but change."_

-Heraclitus & Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers

Goku charged.

Chiyo watched him closely as he lunged for the fat Android, whom she now knew was called Nineteen - he struck Nineteen with a blow she felt as a tremour through the ground, but she couldn't see him. He was so fast she had to scramble to catch up with them, straining her senses to feel rather than to look. It was one of the first lessons Goku had taught her.

"That's it, Son," Tenshinhan muttered. He and Piccolo watched the battle avidly, eyes darting from left to right as the two men - one real, one artificial - battled it out in the sky above, and Chiyo followed their gaze, squinting as they came into focus.

It was silly to believe that Papa had ever gone all out when they were in training, but even so...she'd never seen anything so powerful and fast.

"Astounding! What power!" Tenshinhan said in amazement. "I never knew what being a Super Saiyan meant…it's as if he's in a different dimension from us…too different…"

"It may be," Piccolo replied.

Chiyo said nothing, concentrating all her energy on following the battle. She didn't even notice the others had arrived until she heard Gohan's voice.

"Dad!"

"Don't worry," Tenshinhan said, grinning at the boy over his shoulder. "Goku's power is incredible! Being a Super Saiyan must be glorious! Those Androids talked a great fight, but they're nothing against this!"

"Has it been like this the whole time?" Kuririn asked.

"Yeah. It hasn't laid a finger on Son."

Chiyo squinted at the sky. Her father was punching the Android relentlessly. He was winning so far; Nineteen didn't even seem to be fighting back.

Kuririn smiled. "Goku's definitely got the upper hand."

"Yeah, no kidding. Look at him go - he's rewriting history up there. Looks like we're going to live after all!"

Twenty minutes passed, twenty minutes in which Nineteen took blow after blow - and yet, still kept standing. The group talked amongst themselves, their faces anxious. Chiyo ignored them, still concentrating on the battle above.

She'd heard Goku was the strongest of all the fighters, and yet...there was something not quite right. She knew it, and she couldn't put her finger on it..

"Have you noticed it too, Gohan?" Piccolo said suddenly.

"Oh…yeah…"

"Son Goku is rushing the battle for some reason…he's already giving all he's got. But look how weak he is…"

"Weak…? Did you say weak?" Tenshinhan said. "What are you talking about?! Goku's overwhelming the Android!"

"This is nothing," Piccolo replied. "His power as a Super Saiyan should be far more staggering than this."

Crrr-AK!

The ground lurched, and Chiyo staggered, grabbing onto Gohan's arm for support. It was a few moments before she realised someone had hit the ground with enough force to throw shrapnel and dust in every direction.

Fear stabbed at her chest, but it was quickly replaced with relief when Nineteen appeared through the dust. But the others were gaping.

"Look at him!" Yamcha gasped. "Like he doesn't care about the beating he's getting…"

Tenshinhan nodded in agreement. "He's an Android. He probably doesn't feel any pain or fatigue."

Nineteen stared blankly into the sky. The group followed his gaze and saw Goku floating, legs spread wide, hands cupped in the peculiar and distinct stance of the Kamehameha.

"Ka...me..."

Chiyo stood rooted to the spot - she'd only seen Goku perform the Kamehameha once before, and she knew it was powerful enough to defeat Nineteen. She clenched her fists, hoping, praying this would be it -

"Ha...me..."

Nineteen glared up at Goku with his cold eyes. He seemed uncaring, or perhaps unaware, that he was about to be blasted away.

"HA!"

The area exploded with white-blue light as Goku released the Kamehameha. But as the chi blast headed for Nineteen, the Android extended his arm, and she barely heard his cackle over the sound of crackling chi.

The blast hit his hand with enough force to knock him over - it should have knocked him over, but to Chiyo's horror it vanished into the Android's palm, inch by inch, until the light disappeared.

"He absorbed it!" Yamcha shouted. "I was right. They take it from their hands!"

Piccolo craned his head back so he could look into the sky.

"Goku!" he roared. "Don't use energy attacks! They absorb power! Watch their hands! Don't let them grab you – do you understand?!"

"You're kidding me!" Goku shouted back. He sounded frustrated and angry, and fearful - and that was what made Chiyo shrink closer to Gohan.

"Something's wrong," she whispered to him. "Isn't it?"

"Yeah," Gohan said quietly.

Nineteen shot upwards, so fast Chiyo only saw a blur, and then Goku doubled over.

They absorb power, Piccolo had said. If the Android could do that through his hands, then...

Chiyo cringed at the sound of a blow, and she caught a glimpse of Goku falling from the sky - before she could react, he spun inches from hitting the ground and cupped his hands again.

"Ka me - "

"Goku, don't!" Piccolo roared.

"Ha me - HA!"

Goku froze, his hands outstretched after he had fired off the Kamehameha. He gave a grunt of pain and slowly began to descend.

Chiyo turned a white face to her brother. "Did Papa get hurt?"

"H-he looks like he's in a lot of pain," Yamcha said. "Is he weakening…?!"

Kuririn frowned. "He must be hurt really bad..."

"But how?"

Goku bent over on the ground, one hand clutching at his chest, breathing in great gasps.

"I don't understand," Chiyo said to Gohan. "Did he get hit in the chest?"

"What?" Gohan said. Then - "No! Dad is sick - it's his heart!"

Sick?

Of all the things she'd been expecting to hear, that was not one of them. She'd never seen him sick before - she'd come down with the flu once when she was four, and that was enough for one lifetime, she thought.

"The viral disease that the boy from the future mentioned," Piccolo said. "So it is his heart…"

"Th-that's ridiculous!" Kuririn said. "The medicine made him better, didn't it? They just stole his chi, that's all!"

"What's going on?" Chiyo said, raising her voice. "What's happened to Papa?"

"Chiyo," Gohan said, warningly.

"No!" Chiyo shouted, rounding on him. "Something's wrong and I wanna know what it is!"

"Just what I said," Piccolo rumbled. "Three years ago, a boy from the future arrived here, on Earth. He told us Son would have a heart virus in almost three years' time. If his prediction was correct, Son should have already been sick."

"But Papa's never been sick," Chiyo said, puzzled.

Piccolo's eyes narrowed, but he wasn't looking at her. He stared at Goku's bent head, frowning.

"Then history has already changed," he said, and a shiver ran through her.


	11. Super Vegeta

"This is terrible," Kuririn muttered.

Goku crouched on his knees, hand clamped tightly over his chest, head bent. He gasped for breath, so loudly even Chiyo could hear him from several feet away.

He pitched forwards and only just managed to stop himself from falling.

"Dad!" Gohan cried, and made to move forward.

"St-stay!" Goku said, lifting his head with effort. "Both of you!"

"Don't do it," Kuririn warned. "Your dad is still in charge and we can't intervene until he says so."

Gohan and Chiyo exchanged a glance, then stared at Goku. Chiyo was the first to look away. A painful lump rose in her throat; she swallowed hard and remembered what her father had told her before they left for the island.

"Are you nervous?" Goku asked as he watched her stretch in the dawn light.

Chiyo shook her head, bending to touch her toes.

"No?"

"A little. Maybe." She held up her thumb and forefinger. "This much."

"Come here," Goku said, and she ran towards him, laughing when he tossed her into the air. "Now, you gotta listen to me for a bit. Okay?"

"Okay."

He told her about the Z fighters and what he knew about the Androids, stressing that it was not a game; that there were bad people who would hurt her if she wasn't careful.

"And finally," Goku said. "You need to promise me that if any of the other fighters tell you to do something, you do it."

"I will."

"And Gohan, too."

Chiyo nodded.

"And most importantly," he said, and clasped her shoulder. "If I tell you to run, or to hide, or to not fight, you need to listen. Even if Papa gets hurt. Okay? Promise me you will."

"Pinky swear," Chiyo said, grinning. "That means I can't break it no matter what."

Suddenly, Nineteen's eyes glowed and twin chi beams shot from them; the same chi beams his companion had used on the island. Goku shot upwards to avoid the blasts - the fat Android followed. He landed a damaging punch and a kick on Goku before slamming both clenched fists into his gut. He fell, skidding on the rocky ground.

"It is his heart!" Gohan said.

Kuririn frowned. "But why? Why didn't the medicine heal him?!"

"Papa's never been sick," Chiyo repeated, determined to be a part of the conversation.

"What?"

"Yeah, she's right. He never got sick. He was healthy the whole time, so he never took the medicine."

"Oh…"

"I'm sure that's it," Gohan said grimly. "He needs to have the medicine, but it's at home. So we have to go home to get it."

"How d'you know we even have it?" Chiyo asked.

"The boy from the future gave it to your dad so he wouldn't die from the virus," Kuririn explained.

"Die?" Chiyo squeaked. "What - Gohan! He's not gonna -"

A sudden explosion of dust and rock interrupted their conversation - Nineteen knocked Goku into the ground with an especially hard blow, and this time he didn't get back up. The blonde faded from his hair and beneath the tightly closed eyelids, his eyes darkened.

"He – he can't even stay as a Super Saiyan anymore!" Yamcha gasped.

Chiyo watched, horrified, as Nineteen slammed a foot into Goku's chest. He coughed up blood, gasping in pain, and the Android seized him by the throat. His chi began to drain.

"Curse it," Piccolo growled. "His energy…!"

Piccolo leapt forward; seconds later the rest of the group followed suit, including Chiyo. Heart in her mouth, she raced with all her speed towards Goku.

They hadn't gotten far when Twenty appeared, forcing Piccolo to stop abruptly, and the others with him.

"You won't be going an inch past me," the Android said. "But you can try if you want."

Piccolo smirked. "I will!"

He lunged, throwing his weight behind a punch - but Twenty's eye beams hit him in the chest, and he fell with a grunt of pain.

"Piccolo!" Gohan cried. He dropped to the ground and bent over him, shaking his shoulder.

"Go to hell!" Kuririn swore at the Android, clenching his fists.

"What Piccolo did just now wasn't courage," Twenty snapped. "It was stupidity."

He was only trying to help Papa.

Chiyo clenched her fists together until her fingers began to ache, and her gaze darted between Twenty and Piccolo's still form.

She had to do something! Even if Papa said not to, even if Twenty was stronger than she could ever imagine, even if - she closed her eyes as the anger rose in her chest, and felt Kuririn's hand on her arm.

"Don't," he said. "We don't need more casualties."

"I don't care," Chiyo said, and shook him off. "I can distract him. I have to do something!"

She released her chi, clenching her teeth at the uncomfortable sensation, and saw Twenty's eyes begin to glow -

Then behind the Androids there was a sudden flare of chi, the sound of a foot hitting flesh, and the sound of Nineteen's grunt of surprise.

Standing over Goku was a man, dark-haired and dark-eyed. He wore a blue suit of some skin-tight material and a strange covering strapped over his chest.

"I'm the one who's going to defeat Kakarrot," he said, smirking. "I won't lose my revenge to a bunch of cheap toys!"

"Vegeta!" Kuririn exclaimed, eyes wide in surprise.

"Who's Kakarrot?" Chiyo asked Kuririn.

"Vegeta!" Piccolo growled, sitting upright.

"Piccolo!" Gohan cried, a smile spreading over his face. "You're okay!"

"Just when I had distracted them from Goku with my 'defeat'," Piccolo rumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Blasted Vegeta just has to butt in."

"You mean…"

"I don't care how strong they are. It'll take more than that to bring me down."

The man called Vegeta stared down at Goku, his arms crossed, an expression of contempt on his face.

"I saw everything," he said. "You noticed the anomaly in your body – but you turned into a Super Saiyan anyway! You fool! You knew it would only put more strain on your heart." He scowled. "My target has always been you, Kakarrot." He kicked the Saiyan hard enough to send him flying.

Piccolo caught Goku in mid-air with an outstretched hand and set him down. The others landed and rushed over.

"He's barely holding on," Tenshinhan said, bending over the unconscious Saiyan.

"Dad," Gohan murmured. He began to pull Goku over his shoulder. "He's unconscious, but he's still breathing."

"Someone drag him home," Vegeta snapped impatiently, "and give him his medicine!"

"Come on, you're going to be okay," Gohan said, his dark head bent over Goku's. "We'll take you home." He shot Chiyo a glance, and she knew that we was meant to include her, too. Stifling disappointment, she began to sling her father's limp arm over her shoulder.

"Hey - " Yamcha gripped Gohan's shoulder. "No. I'll go."

Gohan and Chiyo glanced at him quizzically.

"I seem to be the least useful here," the fighter added, with a wry smile. "At least I can get Goku home and give him the medicine."

"He said this disease is caused by a virus," Piccolo said. "It might be contagious, so you should take the medicine too."

"Right."

"Thanks, Yamcha," Gohan said as Yamcha slung Goku over one shoulder. "Take care."

"Right. Stay alive until we get back."

Chiyo stared into the sky for a long time after Yamcha left. The day had not gone one bit like it should have. The Androids should be dead or...or however a robot died. And they should all be on their way home. Not standing out here watching a strange man square off with the Androids while her father was being carried home, unconscious and probably dying from a virus.

She bit her lip and lowered her head to conceal the sudden tears that welled in her eyes. She hoped Yamcha would fly home fast enough. Mama would know what to do.

"Events may not turn out as our visitor said," Piccolo rumbled, jolting Chiyo out of her thoughts. "The timing of Goku's illness was very different. He's probably changed the course of history in subtle ways."

"What do you mean?" Chiyo asked.

"Three years ago a man came from the future," Gohan told her. "He told us that three years from then - which is today - two Androids would come here and kill everyone except for me and you." Seeing Chiyo's white face he added, "but we've been training, so we're prepared for them, see? In that guy's future we didn't know they were coming, so a lot of people died. But we're still alive, so we'll be okay."

"Are you sure?" she whispered, face ashen.

Gohan began to reply, but Vegeta cut across him.

"I know from my limited observations of your actions that your legends far outstrip your realities," he informed Nineteen, his voice booming across the dry landscape. "The palms of your hands…they seem to draw in life force. I need to watch those."

"You say you were watching the whole time," Nineteen replied, "but you missed the part that mattered. We know your capabilities, Vegeta."

"You seem awfully surprised when Kakarrot became a Super Saiyan. You thought your mathematical projections would tell you all you needed to know."

"Who's Kakarrot?" Chiyo asked again, squinting at the Saiyan.

"It is what Vegeta calls your father," Piccolo snapped. "Pay attention and you'll find out these answers for yourself."

"Okay..."

Chiyo turned back to the stand-off. Nineteen seemed hesitant to attack, even though they had been cocky enough with her father. She wondered what Vegeta had up his sleeve.

"You know some of my moves," Nineteen replied, "but I know all of yours, Vegeta. Oh, yes...the great Dr Gero studied you very carefully."

Vegeta's smirk widened. "We Saiyans can't be reduced to numbers."

"Indeed?"

Vegeta clenched his gloved fists. "I'm curious…if Androids can feel fear!"

Then Vegeta's chi surged, higher than anything Chiyo had ever felt; higher than even her father's had earlier. Veins began to bulge from his forehead and his eyes glowed.

Chiyo stared at him in disbelief. She was not the only one - the others were exclaiming in awe as the ground cracked beneath the Saiyan's feet and his hair began to lighten.

"Shit!" Kuririn shouted. "I don't believe it!"

Vegeta screamed, and a golden aura exploded from him, or what could be seen of him - his chi had created a seven foot crater in the ground.

"He looks like Papa," Chiyo murmured.

Gohan nodded, his arm thrown up to shield his face from dust and flying rocks. "I guess he's a Super Saiyan too," he said.

"No way!," Kuririn shouted. "Why is he a S-Super Saiyan? I thought you had to have a pure heart…!"

"My heart is pure – pure evil!"

Vegeta rose out of the crater, arms folded. The light had turned his skin deathly pale, throwing his golden hair and green eyes into sharp contrast.

"I desired nothing but to be stronger," he said, landing neatly on the edge of the crater. "I endured training from hell. Then I ran into a wall – my own limits. In the rage I felt towards myself, I awoke – into a Super Saiyan!"


	12. The Great Escape

"ENOUGH!" Twenty roared.

Chiyo watched in half-amusement, half-awe as the corpulent figure of Nineteen disappeared over the horizon.

For a fat man he sure runs fast, she thought, blinking in the dust thrown up by his fleeing feet.

The Android that Goku had tried and failed to defeat turned out to be no match for Vegeta. The Saiyan - whom Chiyo had learned was a long time rival of Goku - dominated over the Android, even tearing Nineteen's hands off when he had tried to steal chi from Vegeta.

But now Nineteen was running, and without his hands to absorb chi he was no threat to them.

"Oh, hold your water!" Vegeta snapped, folding his arms. "I'll get to you when I've finished him off!"

He rose into the air slowly. Squinting, Chiyo's gaze followed him into the sky, where she saw him hold out a hand, palm first.

The air began to crackle with static. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle and her cropped hair began to stand on end. Looking around the others, she could see the same thing happen to them. She stifled a giggle as Gohan's long hair stood straight up.

Their surroundings were drenched in yellow light as Vegeta fired a ball of chi. Chiyo hardly had time to see where it was going when the ground lurched for the third time that day, almost throwing her off her feet. Only Kuririn's hand on her shoulder prevented her from falling.

It took a few moments for the dust and shrapnel to clear, but when Chiyo opened her eyes she saw only an angry black mushroom cloud on the horizon.

"That Android's finished," Kuririn muttered.

Piccolo frowned. "Yes."

Chiyo swayed on her feet, dizzy from the shock of the explosion, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Nineteen wasn't dangerous without his hands, she thought. Vegeta didn't have to kill him...did he?

She was about to ask Gohan, but Vegeta was landing, facing the remaining Android - and attention was on him once more.

"We may have miscalculated indeed," Twenty admitted, narrowing his eyes. "But still, you have no hope of victory."

Vegeta laughed. It was a cruel laugh, one that gave Chiyo shivers. "I've lost a lot of energy." His chi began to drop, and suddenly his hair was dark, his eyes back to their original colour.

"Now's your chance to defeat me," Vegeta continued, adjusting his dirt-smeared gloves. "Go ahead…come at me. You said that I had no hope. I can't imagine why. What did you mean?"

"Heh," Twenty said. "Only that you may be more powerful than we calculated, but you will always be far less powerful than us!"

"Yeah? Well, I think you're just being a sore loser."

Twenty's eyes narrowed to slits. He took a step forward. His hands clenched into fists.

Then just as suddenly the old man turned. Quicker than the group could follow, he shot into the air and flew away, towards the rocky cliffs in the other direction.

"There he goes. He's running." Kuririn rolled his eyes.

"Does that happen a lot?" Chiyo asked.

"Sure does, kiddo. Usually when they find they're outnumbered."

"Hey! Give me a senzu seed!" Vegeta shouted at them from across the crater. "Throw me one of the senzu seeds. Hurry up!"

"Wait," Kuririn said, frowning. "Should I?"

"Do it now!" Vegeta roared. "You want him to get away?!"

"Give it to him," Piccolo growled.

"O-okay."

Kuririn rummaged in the small bag attached to his belt and pulled out a green bean, which he tossed to Vegeta. Moments later, his chi surged and he once again became a Super Saiyan.

"Why don't you guys go home and drink some milk or something," he said, smirking, "And stay out of my way!"

And with that, he left in the direction of the cliffs.

"Hey!" Kuririn said, glaring at the disappearing figure. "Drink milk, my butt!"

"He really did lose most of his power, just to confirm that the Androids drain chi through their palms," Piccolo said, scowling in the direction where Vegeta had left. "If Twenty had stood his ground, he'd have beaten Vegeta easily. It was a beautiful bluff…he truly is a great warrior."

Chiyo's mind was still racing to catch up to the events of the past couple of hours. For some reason, she couldn't get the image of the Android running in terror out of her mind - before and after Vegeta blasted him.

She wasn't stupid. She knew that the Androids meant to destroy every one of their group, and probably most of the people on Earth as well. That was enough to make her want to fight them, even if Nineteen hadn't hurt Goku. But could she kill someone when they were running in terror? Would it make her a bad person if she did?

"Do you think Vegeta is stronger than Father?" Gohan said, cutting through Chiyo's thoughts.

"I believe so," Piccolo rumbled, nodding.

"Okay, I'm following him," Tenshinhan said. "I at least want to see those Androids destroyed!"

"I'm going too," Kuririn said, nodding.

Gohan nodded. "Me too! There'd be no point to all that training if I didn't!"

"I'm coming too," Chiyo said, and flashed him a glance that said I dare you to say no. He grinned back at her.

"All right," Piccolo said. "But don't try to fight him. None of you can handle him."

"Got it."

Piccolo nodded to the others. "He has no chi for us to trace, so he might be hiding anywhere among the rocks. If you see him, tell me...or Vegeta. And be careful!"

Chiyo followed the others as they left in the direction of Vegeta and Twenty. She was suddenly afraid. What if Twenty found her in the cliffs and took all her chi? What if no-one could sense it and the Android killed her? What would her mother say if Gohan came home and said she had died?

Get a grip, she chided herself, and sped up. If you do what Piccolo says, you'll be fine. The Android can't hide forever.


	13. Boy From the Future

Chiyo jumped.

A clatter of pebbles and a rustling indicated that she was not alone. Heart pounding and mind racing, she slid around the rock face and slowly, carefully, peered around the corner.

Two voles stood in a sparse patch of grass, chewing for all they were worth. They regarded her with dark, fearful eyes before bounding away.

Chiyo sighed, unsure whether to feel annoyed or relieved. She had been searching for the Android Twenty for hours, or so it seemed - though it had probably been only an hour or so. The rocky cliffs he chose to hide in stretched for miles, and he could be anywhere, waiting to attack.

It was well past lunchtime and Chiyo's stomach rumbled as she began to scale a nearby cliff face. Twenty probably didn't need to eat, so he could hide out here for days, and with Vegeta's mistimed blast earlier, he had plenty of energy.

The others were spread out over the area, their chi glowing brightly in Chiyo's mental picture of the cliffs.

If Twenty's gonna attack then he'll steal chi, she thought, clambering up the cliff like a monkey. So I'll sense it if he does. It'll drain like...like...

One of the chi hovering on the edge of her mind began to drop.

Chiyo jerked, muscles tensing as she focused on the chi. It felt familiar; not as familiar as Gohan's, so it must have been -

Piccolo. Something was happening to Piccolo.

Chiyo pulled herself over the top of the cliff to get a better view. She could see several figures spread out over the area, all searching for Twenty. Piccolo was nowhere to be seen.

Two minutes later Chiyo found him and Gohan floating above a plateau, not far from where she was. Piccolo seemed out of breath but not seriously injured, to her relief. Lying on the rocky plateau was Twenty, eyes narrowing as she, Kuririn, Tenshinhan and Vegeta arrived seconds later. The Android seemed to have been knocked down.

"So. The whole group is here." Twenty climbed to his feet and casually brushed the dust off his odd clothes. "No matter. I have gathered enough chi to kill you all."

This time it was obvious he was bluffing. Vegeta seemed to think so too; he laughed.

"Get over yourself!" he said. "Shall we start where we left off? If I recall, we were about to fight when you ran away."

"Don't interfere, Vegeta," Piccolo growled. "I owe him. If he defeats me then you may fight him. Understand?"

Vegeta shrugged. "I don't care if you get yourself killed. But won't you just be giving him more energy?"

Piccolo tossed his cape and hat aside, but said nothing to the Saiyan.

Twenty chuckled. "I'll make sure that does happen." He lunged.

Piccolo dodged around Twenty's attack and kicked the Android, sending him flying into the nearest cliff.

Chiyo stifled a gasp of surprise. Piccolo had been so fast that she hardly saw him move. She wondered if he was as fast as Vegeta, or faster.

Twenty pulled himself out of the small crater his body made in the rock wall and lunged for Piccolo yet again. His yell of triumph quickly turned to anger when Piccolo vanished on the spot, reappearing behind him to jab an elbow in the Android's face. Twenty went flying into the cliff again. Again, he lunged for Piccolo - and was rewarded with blows to the solar plexus and neck and sent flying for the third time.

"Piccolo's the best!" cheered Gohan, pumping his fist in the air.

"Whatta guy," Kuririn said, grinning. "He's so powerful, and he's not even a Super Saiyan! What kind of training has he been doing?"

"You really think Piccolo is strong as Papa?" Chiyo asked her brother.

"Maybe. Who knows?"

"Feh!" Vegeta snorted, having overheard their conversation.

Meanwhile, Twenty was again struggling to free himself from the cliff, which was crumbling fast.

"You - will - pay!" he roared, lunging yet again at Piccolo.

Doesn't he learn? Chiyo thought derisively, before the dust thrown up by Twenty and Piccolo's fight reached her. Coughing, she squeezed her eyes shut and waited for it to subside.

"He grabbed Piccolo!" Gohan shouted. "No, wait - Piccolo grabbed him!"

Chiyo's eyes snapped open. There, four feet below, were Piccolo and Twenty. The Android was beyond furious, his eyes bulging from rage and teeth clenched tightly. Piccolo held his right hand in an iron grip.

"You cannot help yourself, can you?" he said.

"You are going to die, you hear me?" Twenty shrieked. "Mark my words!"

"You know, I used to be like you," Piccolo said. "One day you shall learn that the more you hurt others, the harder your life becomes." His hand sliced neatly through Twenty's arm. "You could have put this to good use. A waste of technology." He crushed the severed hand and dropped it into the steep valley below. "Remember this: in battle, we can amplify what you call energy in one tremendous burst. What you stole from me just now was nothing."

"We won!" Gohan said, grinning triumphantly.

Piccolo dealt Twenty a hard blow that sent him crashing to the ground. From then on, Chiyo knew the Namekian had won. Twenty was no match for Piccolo. Soon he tried to run, but was blasted by Piccolo's chi and backed into a corner once again, muttering to himself.

"We were supposed to have been killed by you two Androids," Piccolo said, his voice carrying to the rest of the group. "But whether you weren't as tough as we thought, or we grew too strong, the result is the future has been changed. Either way, we knew you were coming."

Chiyo, Gohan, Kuririn and Tenshinhan flew closer to hear the conversation. Twenty's voice was no longer loud and confident. He knew he had lost.

"Knew...I was coming? What do you mean?" Twenty asked.

"I mean we've been preparing for you, friend."

"Yeah, thank God for that," Kuririn said with a chuckle. "Dying ain't the best experience."

"Yeah, I've been down that road," Tenshinhan agreed. "This time, let's hope we grow old and die the natural way."

Chiyo looked at them curiously, wondering what they meant.

"How about the coup de grace, Piccolo?" Vegeta interrupted. "Or do I have to do it?"

"No, thank you. I began as evil incarnate, pulled away from Kami-sama." The Namekian lost his smirk. "I'm not soft like Goku."

A large chi was approaching, close enough for Chiyo to sense. It was completely unfamiliar to her, so she knew it wasn't her father...or any of the other fighters either, except maybe Yamcha...but she could recognize the others' chi after having sensed them all day.

"Look!" Kuririn said, pointing to a growing dot in the sky.

"Who is it?" Gohan asked, squinting.

As the dot grew Chiyo saw it was a man, younger than her father but about ten years older than Gohan. His hair was cut short and violet-coloured. His eyes were blue. He wore a sword strapped across his back and an expression that reminded her very much of someone she couldn't place.

"Who's that?" she whispered to Gohan, as the young man arrived, surveying the scene with a frown.

"Trunks," Piccolo said.

"Trunks?" Chiyo repeated.

Isn't that Bulma's baby's name? she wondered. Are they the same person?

"Wh-who is this?" Trunks asked, gesturing to the cowering figure of Android Twenty. "You were fighting him, weren't you?"

"What?" Vegeta snapped. "What do you mean, who? The Androids you've told us about, of course!"

"No...these..." Trunks looked completely bemused. "I've never seen this guy before!"

Chiyo looked from one adult to another as they talked, completely bemused.

So this is the boy from the future, she thought. But if those aren't the Androids he told Papa about...then where are the real Androids?


	14. Race Against Time

Kuririn frowned.

"What did he say?" he said. "Did he say they're not…?"

"Then who -"

"Bullshit!" Vegeta snarled. "If that's not the right Android, then what the hell is it? Well?"

Kuririn turned to him. "Maybe it's no big deal…history turned out differently anyway, right? So maybe the Androids are just changed from what he knows…"

Tenshinhan sighed. "I hope so."

A shadow fell over the area. Chiyo glanced up and saw a red aircar blocking out the sun above, coming in to land. She recognized it as Bulma's aircar, but she sensed three people's chi, not two.

"It's Bulma and Yajirobe," she called, pointing.

"Watch out!" Trunks yelled at the vehicle. "Don't come any closer!"

Chiyo opened her mouth to ask if they would hear him, but a roar of laughter from Twenty interrupted her.

"I spoke the truth when I said you have no chance!" he shouted triumphantly. "Numbers Seventeen and Eighteen will come for you soon!"

With that he fired a chi blast at the aircar. Chiyo leapt forwards but someone else pushed past her; the aircar exploded and a woman's scream was lost in a roar of sound and shower of falling rock.

It took minutes for the smoke to disappear. Chiyo coughed violently, trying to clear her lungs of dust and smoke, and blinked her watering eyes. Her head and ears were aching from the sound of the explosion.

Bulma! she thought, looking around wildly. What happened? Is she...?

To her great relief she saw three figures huddled on the ground - Bulma, Trunks and baby Trunks. The baby was bellowing but he and Bulma were unhurt. The others were making their way towards them, also uninjured. Twenty was nowhere to be seen.

"Are you okay?" Kuririn shouted over the crying of the baby.

"We're okay," Bulma gasped, getting to her feet. "I owe you, kiddo...!"

"He won't get away! I'll hunt him down!" Vegeta roared. He was still in the air, turning this way and that to catch a glimpse of the escaped Android. Trunks glanced up at him, frowning, and went to him. Chiyo turned her attention to the rest of the group. Kuririn was explaining what had happened in the past three hours.

"Hey, y'mean that old weirdo was the Android?" Bulma said, bouncing baby Trunks in her arms. "There, there. Don't cry."

"Yeah, I think."

"Uh-uh. I think that was Dr. Gero himself," she said. "There, there, Trunks. I've seen his picture in an academic journal." She shook her head. "Weird…did he alter his own body?"

"Really?" Kuririn waved up at Trunks, who was still talking to Vegeta. "Hey! She says that guy was Dr. Gero!"

Vegeta and Trunks landed, both looking angry. There was something about them that looked similar - their eyes, maybe. Chiyo wondered if they were related.

"That Android was Dr. Gero himself?" Vegeta demanded. "What are you saying?!"

"I'm saying that I've seen his picture before!" Bulma snapped back, her temper flaring. "He's pretty famous among scientists. They all say he's a jerk, but he's a genius. He probably turned himself into a cyborg so he could live longer."

Vegeta stabbed a gloved finger at Trunks. "You! Everything you said was a crock! You told us that Gero was killed by the Androids! And now you say the Androids themselves were different!"

"That guy said Dr. Gero was killed," Chiyo piped up, before anyone else could speak. "He said he was called Android Twenty."

"History must have been changed somehow," Trunks muttered, shaking his head. "Could it have been a side effect of my coming to the past once before?"

"He spoke of Numbers Seventeen and Eighteen," Piccolo said. "They're probably the Androids you were talking about. Tell us what they look like – we don't want to be wrong again."

"Right," Trunks replied. "Seventeen is a kid with long black hair and a bandanna around his neck. Eighteen is a pretty girl…clothes similar to mine. Both of them have hoop earrings and icy stares."

Piccolo scowled. "Do they also drain your energy through their hands?"

"No," Trunks replied. "They have an infinite supply of energy."

"What?! That's impossible!" Vegeta exploded. "They have to run out of chi sometime!"

Trunks sighed. "Where's Goku? Why isn't he here?"

"His heart," Kuririn replied. "The disease you told us about – it just now hit him."

"I..." Trunks's eyes widened. "That changed too?!"

Chiyo studied Trunks's face carefully. She was pretty sure he and baby Trunks were the same person, and especially if he was from the future. He seemed strong. She wondered whether he was a Super Saiyan like Vegeta and her father.

Trunks seemed to notice her stare for the first time, and glanced down at her. He smiled, and she ducked her head, embarrassed to be caught staring.

"How dare you, Vegeta!" Bulma shrieked. "Every time you stick your ugly face in front of Trunks you make him cry!" She began to pat the wailing baby on the back. "There, there. Daddy's not going to scare you with that ugly mug of his."

"Bulma, will you forget about the child for one minute?!" Vegeta snapped. "Do you know where Gero's lab is or not?"

"I think it was in the mountains by North City. There was a rumour he converted a cave into a lab...if he hasn't moved, of course. But I had no idea Dr. Gero was connected to the Red Ribbon Army."

"Yeah, but it'd be too late to follow him there," Kuririn said. "He's probably long gone."

"Maybe not," Vegeta replied. "Nobody saw him fly away, did they?"

"What do you mean?" Chiyo asked.

The Saiyan snorted impatiently. "I'm saying Twenty is trying to escape on foot, which means he probably isn't very far away."

Piccolo nodded. "All right. Then we're going to destroy Seventeen and Eighteen before Gero has a chance to return to his lab and activate them."

"I would never do something that cowardly!" Vegeta shouted, turning around. "I want to be the one to destroy those Androids with my own hands! Those other two weren't even worth my time."

"NO!" Trunks shouted. "Don't underestimate those Androids! Piccolo's right – we have to find the lab and destroy them before they're activated. And if we can't make it in time, we should avoid a battle until Son Goku gets well."

"We don't need to wait for Kakarrot! Can't you see? I've become a Super Saiyan too! And as a Saiyan prince, I must be much more powerful than he is!"

Vegeta smirked and began to rise into the air. Trunks blocked him before he could fly away.

"What's a labradree?" Chiyo asked her brother.

"Laboratory," he corrected, ruffling her hair. "It's a place where scientists do experiments and study. Like scholars."

"So do we have one?" she said. "You're gonna be a scholar, right?"

Gohan laughed. "Our house is too small."

Trunks landed, scowling. Chiyo glanced up; Vegeta was gone. Obviously, he had ignored everyone's advice and had gone after Twenty.

"It's true that he has seemed stronger than Goku since he became a Super Saiyan," Piccolo admitted. "He may be able to defeat them, indeed."

"That's only because Papa was sick," Chiyo said, scowling.

"That's not it!" Trunks said. "I can turn into a Super Saiyan, too – but I was still powerless! That's how powerful they are. I'm going after him! He's a fool – but I'll never let Dad die again!"

"Dad?" Bulma wondered, as Trunks left. "Did he say Dad? What did he mean? Was his Dad killed by the Androids too?"

"There's no point in keeping it a secret anymore," Piccolo said. "His name is Trunks. His father is Vegeta. He's that baby, grown up – your son."

Gohan, Tenshinhan and Kuririn exclaimed in surprise.

"I knew it!" Chiyo said triumphantly. "They look the same." She shook one of baby Trunks's tiny hands. He smiled at her, drooling.

"Now that you mention it, there is a resemblance," Kuririn said, shaking his head. "How 'bout it."

"You don't say," Bulma said, inspecting the baby. "At least I know you're gonna look hot when you grow up! I was worried – I mean, you're such a mean-looking baby..."

"Bulma, could you let Dad know about this?" Gohan asked. "And that we need him when he gets better?"

"Sure, but how am I going to tell him? My plane exploded."

"Gohan, you take them," Piccolo interrupted. "We can handle the Androids by ourselves, if we're in time."

"Okay...just be careful."

A clatter of rocks made the group jump. Chiyo felt a small chi flare moments before a fat hand stuck up from a nearby pile of rubble.

"A little help!" cried a muffled voice.

Kuririn grinned sheepishly. "Oh yeah…we forgot about Yajirobe."

Chiyo seized the hand and pulled; Yajirobe tumbled out amidst a shower of rubble.

"Watch it, kid!" he complained, rubbing his arm. "You almost pulled my arm off!"

"Um…sorry."

Gohan, Bulma and Yajirobe left a few minutes later. Within moments they were nothing but a dot on the horizon, and Chiyo was left with Piccolo, Tenshinhan and Kuririn. She waited for them to tell her what to do.

They'll probably make me go home, she thought half-heartedly. At least I'd beat Gohan there.

To her surprise however, they took off. Chiyo followed, dodging and ducking the mountain peaks to catch up faster.

"Hey, wait up!" she called, speeding up. The men stopped and turned around.

"Silence!" Piccolo growled. "Do you want to give away our position?"

"I'm sorry," Chiyo replied, quailing under his furious look. "You forgot about me."

Tenshinhan and Kuririn exchanged a glance. Piccolo hesitated for a moment; he seemed to be thinking.

"You have good eyesight, don't you?" he asked. Chiyo nodded. After a moment he said, "You can put them to good use now. Keep up and be quiet."


	15. We Found It!

"There!" Chiyo called.

It was half an hour since their group split up. Gohan had taken Bulma and Yajirobe to Mt Paozu to see Goku. Vegeta had flown off with Trunks following him. Tenshinhan, Chiyo, Piccolo and Kuririn had all left for North City, where Dr Gero's lab was apparently hidden.

Chiyo was determined to participate in the fight against the Androids, so she was on her best behavior. She kept up with the adults and didn't speak unless spoken to. And so far, nobody had told her to go home.

North City was just up ahead. It was a sprawling city, surrounded by mountains and patches of forest, all bare and rocky like the area they'd fought Twenty in.

"Which one of these mountains looks like the best place to put a lab?" Kuririn asked, half-jokingly.

"Dr. Gero's lab is in a cave in the mountains around here, right?" Tenshinhan asked. "But how do we find it? It's all mountains here."

"We'll split up and search," Piccolo said impatiently. "Give a signal when you find it."

"What kind of signal?"

"Raise your chi abruptly. We'll feel it."

Chiyo shivered. She had long sleeves, but her clothing was made for a mild climate. Up here, the wind was so cold it raised goosebumps on her skin, but she bit back the urge to complain.

"It's cold up north," Kuririn said, rubbing his bare arms. "Do you have any money, Tenshinhan? I wanna buy a jacket."

"I'm cold too, Kuririn," Tenshinhan replied impatiently. "Ignore it."

"Earthlings are so inconvenient," Piccolo muttered. "Now hurry before those Androids are activated. Tenshinhan, head north and see what you can find. Kuririn, head west. Chiyo, double back in case Gero is tailing us."

"Okay."

"Wait up!" Kuririn called, holding up a hand as the others began to move.

Piccolo stopped with an impatient snort. "What is it now?"

"Nothing. I thought it would be a good idea to give you some senzu seeds."

Kuririn opened the bag tied to his sash and counted out a pile of something that resembled green kidney beans - the same bean he had given Vegeta a few hours ago.

"So are these senzu seeds?" Chiyo asked, inspecting them carefully.

"Yeah, they make you better if you've been hurt," Kuririn said. "Don't eat one until you absolutely have to, okay? You might need them later."

"Okay."

"Thanks, Kuririn," Piccolo said. "Let us hope we don't have to use them."

~oOo~

An hour passed, in which Chiyo searched for Dr Gero as if it were a game of hide and seek. It was easier to pretend it was all a game than to think of what had happened earlier. Without the constant interruption of the adults and their conversations, she was left alone to her thoughts - and not all of them were pleasant.

The two Androids they were trying to find... they were the ones who killed everyone in the future.

Except for me and Gohan, Chiyo thought, shivering. Everyone's dead...even Papa.

She clenched her teeth together and kept running. The thought of Papa at home dying made it worse, and not for the first time she wished there was something she could do, anything - she wanted to be in the battle, but part of her wanted to run home and crawl into Mama's lap and cry until her eyes hurt.

"I'm t-too old to c-cry," she said out loud, blinking until her eyes stung. "I won't cry...I wo-o-on't..."

Chiyo's head snapped around as someone's chi dropped suddenly; she recognized it as Kuririn's. She changed direction and put all her energy into her running. If Kuririn was in trouble she had to get to him fast, before -

There!

Just ahead the bare ground opened onto a clearing, and she could make out Twenty bending over Kuririn, who was sprawled over a fallen log. Chiyo lunged, lowering her chi until the last minute. Approaching from the side, she struck Twenty in the face and sent him flying.

Twenty flipped before he hit the rock wall and landed some twenty feet away. He glanced up, his face set in a mask of rage, and spotted Chiyo standing between him and Kuririn.

"Cursed brat!" he growled.

Chiyo fired two chi blasts at the Android, but he vanished.

"Up - up there!" Kuririn croaked, pointing a hand. "Up!"

She deflected the chi blast Twenty threw at her, and dodged his follow-up punch; pivoting on one wrist, she dealt him a kick that snapped his head back. But the advantage of surprise she had was gone. In two moves he sent her flying into the nearest outcropping, bringing down half of the rock on top of her.

Chiyo heard Kuririn's shout; heard Twenty talking, but her muddled senses couldn't take it in. Everything was spinning, and she could see the Android approaching, wavering... or was that her vision? She knew she had to get up, her whole body was shouting at her, and someone else was shouting at her too, but she was just so tired...

Next thing she knew, a rough hand was shaking her shoulder.

"Hey, come on," Kuririn said, his face looming in her vision. "We have to go."

"I don't want to," Chiyo said dreamily, and closed her eyes. Another moment and she was yanked upright and shaken, a little harder this time, and the pain hit her seconds later.

"Hey! Oh, oh - ow! My head!"

"Come on, kiddo," Kuririn said impatiently, and grabbed her hand. "I know it hurts, but we've got to catch up to him before it's too late!"

Chiyo summoned the rest of her strength and somehow managed to keep up with him, one hand held in his, the other clutching at her head. Her arms felt heavy, her legs shaking. Every step she took felt like she was running through sludge.

Kuririn must have been hurt by Twenty too, but he was running at full speed, bounding from rock to rock and occasionally pulling her into the shadow of a cliff to hide from Twenty.

As the minutes passed her headache lessened and the fuzz lifted from her vision, and she was alert enough to run alongside Kuririn instead of just being dragged.

Then suddenly he stopped, and flew upwards. Confused, she followed.

There was a hole cut into the face of the mountain before them; too precise to be a natural cave, even if it weren't for the enormous metal door a few feet inside.

Gero's lab, she guessed. And it would have been great to find it, if only Twenty hadn't been standing before the door with a triumphant smirk.

"You are too late, humans!" he cried. "You won't make it in time – even if you call in your friends."

"Send out the signal!" Chiyo said, as Twenty disappeared inside.

Within moments Piccolo and Tenshinhan appeared from the opposite direction at top speed. Piccolo seemed unsurprised to see her and Kuririn in their dishevelled state - but then again, Piccolo always looked grumpy and unimpressed to her. But Tenshinhan stared openly as he slowed and finally stopped in mid-air a few feet away.

"What happened to you?" he said.

Chiyo blinked. "Who, me?"

"Yeah, you. You've got blood all over you."

Chiyo rubbed at her forehead and stared at the bright red blood smeared over the back of her hand. "Oh...I didn't notice."

"We ran into Dr. Gero," Kuririn replied grimly. "She saved my butt, and got hers kicked in the process."

"Enough," Piccolo rumbled, as Chiyo giggled. "That's Dr. Gero's lab, I take it?"

"Yeah. That opening in the mountain is the entrance."

"Right," Tenshinhan said, grinning. "Good job, both of you."

"You can congratulate each other later," Piccolo growled. "Right now we have work to do."

"Hey, hold on!" Kuririn shouted, as Piccolo and Tenshinhan made for the lab. "I-I forgot to mention one thing. Twenty beat us here."

"What?!"

"You should have told us before!" Piccolo roared.

"Sorry..."

Chiyo stared guiltily at Piccolo's back as he rushed for the lab, and suddenly was glad Kuririn hadn't told her she'd slowed him down.


	16. The Destroyers

Piccolo rushed for the lab entrance with a growl of annoyance, and Tenshinhan and Kuririn weren't too far behind them.

Chiyo followed, ducking under Tenshinhan's arm to inspect the doors. They looked like solid, thick metal, and if she was right, Gero wouldn't have made them easily breakable.

WHAM!

Tenshinhan slammed his shoulder into one door, so hard she felt the impact all the way to her toes. Not so much as a dent.

"This door is tough," Kuririn gasped. He pushed against the door, and Chiyo copied him. Even with their combined strength, they didn't budge.

"Maybe we can unlock it," Chiyo said, and hovered over the control panel.

"Move," Piccolo ordered. "I'll break it down."

Chiyo scrambled to get out of the way as the Namekian began to gather chi in his palm.

"I see you found it."

Kuririn, Tenshinhan and Chiyo jumped violently and whirled around.

Vegeta and Trunks stood behind them, watching silently...how long had they been there? She hadn't even sensed their chi, too wrapped up in checking the door to keep her senses alert.

"Hurry up!" Vegeta snapped. "You'd better not destroy the Androids!"

"No!" Trunks said. "Piccolo, don't listen to him!"

"Shut up!"

Piccolo fired his chi blast. It hit the metal doors, but to the others' dismay, fizzled out on contact. A disappointed silence fell.

"...Seventeen, stop kidding around and defeat the enemies outside the door...!"

Chiyo bit her lip and swallowed the panic that rose in her.

"W-what are we g-gonna do now?" Kuririn stammered, his face ashen. "Gero woke up the Androids!"

Vegeta held out a gloved hand, palm first. "Get out of my way, you idiots!"

"NO!" Trunks stumbled forward. "We can't defeat the Androids without Goku's help!"

"Ha!"

Vegeta's chi blast hit the doors point blank, and the metal caved like it was nothing. Chiyo coughed as dust flew in every direction.

Gero's lab looked dank and smelled like a swamp, and it was cluttered with so many odd-looking things that for a moment she almost regretted that they had to destroy it.

One wall hosted white tanks, each big enough for a person, labelled from one to nineteen. The last three were open.

In the entrance stood Twenty, hair disheveled and hand still missing. Behind him stood two others...the Androids Trunks described, Chiyo guessed. A boy with long hair and a red scarf, and a blonde girl. Seventeen and Eighteen.

It wasn't just the coldness of their eyes. It was something else that unnerved her; something in their stillness that was so utterly alien. She backed up until she bumped into Tenshinhan.

"They look like humans to me," Kuririn said, squinting at the Androids. "Are you sure they're not?"

"Don't be fooled by the way they look," Trunks said grimly. His voice held an edge of fear. "They're both stronger than all of us!"

"It's the friends of Son Goku!" Twenty said. "Don't let them catch you off guard - they destroyed Nineteen and almost killed me!"

"Nineteen?" Seventeen repeated. He had a soft, almost menacing voice that gave Chiyo shivers. "So you caused another of us to die, did you? And you talked him into turning you into an Android?" He smiled coldly. "What type was he - an energy absorption model?"

"Yes," Twenty said sullenly.

"Why did you go back to your old energy absorption design?" Eighteen cut in. "Because we infinite energy models were too powerful to control? But because of that…you lost!"

Chiyo listened to the conversation with something akin to confusion. The Androids talked among themselves as if the others were not there at all. Twenty seemed angry; his muscles were tense and he answered the Androids' questions in a gruff voice.

"What's going on?" Kuririn muttered.

"It doesn't matter," Twenty snapped. "Kill them now!"

Seventeen turned a disdainful gaze on him. "We'll kill them when we want to."

"What?!"

Chiyo followed the Android's gaze to a pile of twisted metal on the floor between him and Seventeen, then to Eighteen crossing the lab to a large, white tank lying in the centre of the rock floor.

"Sixteen," she said, reading the number printed on the tank's lid. "This is also an infinite model, isn't it? But he's not like us."

"You stay away from there, you hear me?!" Twenty shrieked. "Don't touch it!"

There must have been something (she didn't want to say someone) valuable in the tank; Twenty's eyes bulged as he shouted, and he gestured threateningly. There couldn't be another Android, could there? Hadn't Trunks said there were only two? And yet, Twenty and Nineteen...

"Shit," Piccolo muttered.

Kuririn squinted, trying to see over the bent form of Eighteen. "Something's not right here," he said. "D'you think we should make a run for it while they're arguing?"

Vegeta snorted. "Go ahead. I can fight these Androids without your help!"

"Sixteen was an experimental model and a failure," Twenty said gruffly, glaring at his creations. "Don't activate him! Do you want to risk destroying the world?!"

"Interesting," Seventeen said. He nodded at the girl. "Start him up."

"NO!" Twenty lunged and seized Eighteen by the arm.

"You shouldn't touch a lady like that." Eighteen elbowed him, hard, then bent over the tank again. "You left him around quite a while, for a failure. And you disposed of all the rest up through Fifteen."

"I was planning to repair him," Twenty growled, getting to his feet. "Just don't activate him! You'll kill us all!"

"I don't think he's controlling 'em," she whispered to Tenshinhan, still hovering near his leg. "Why d'you think he even woke 'em up?"

"He was probably desperate," Tenshinhan said.

"DO YOU HAVE TO DEFY EVERYTHING I SAY?!" Twenty roared, startling Chiyo into shrinking closer to Tenshinhan again. "I'll deactivate you all!"

"I destroyed the controller," Seventeen pointed out.

"You think I can't make another one?!"

Eighteen bent over the tank again. Twenty lunged.

"DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME?!" he screamed. "DON'T PRESS THAT SWITCH!"

A blur flashed across Chiyo's vision, faster than she could see - but she saw the hand burst through Twenty's chest in a shower of sparks. She saw the Android's mouth gape wide, eyes bulging, and she heard her own gasp in the second of silence that followed.

"What have you done?" Twenty demanded. "How dare you? I gave you life - and I can take it away!"

Seventeen lashed out with his foot, and the kick caught the side of Twenty's neck, severing his head in one clean stroke.

Chiyo gulped down her scream and danced back another few steps as the head rolled to a stop just before Kuririn.

"Idiots..." Twenty muttered, his eyes rolling madly. "I'll...grrzzzhmm...brrzzn..."

Seventeen's foot descended on Twenty's head, crushing it under his trainers, and Chiyo's scream came out as a squeak of surprise.

"Did you see that?" Kuririn hissed. "He crushed the head like a bug!"

Seventeen stood up, making Kuririn and Tenshinhan jerk in reflex, and his ice-blue eyes wandered over their group before settling on Chiyo.

Try as she might, she couldn't look away - even when he beckoned to her, and she left the shelter of the others to stand in front of him.

"Look at me," he said, and reluctantly she raised her chin. Black eyes met blue and quickly dropped, staring instead at his dirty trainers. "You're Son Goku's kid, aren't you?"

"Yes," Chiyo replied, though every instinct she had screamed at her to lie.

Seventeen studied her for a moment. Then,

"Hey Eighteen, we have Son Goku's kid here. Perhaps she knows where he is."

Like I'm going to tell you, Chiyo thought, but her courage didn't extend far enough to voice that thought out loud. Instead she stayed rooted to the spot, meeting Seventeen's gaze until he turned away and went back into the lab.

"Open the tank," Seventeen said in a loud voice.

"If they set that Android free it will be the end of all of us!" Trunks shouted, transforming to Super Saiyan. "NO!"

He fired at Seventeen and Eighteen. Chiyo jumped backwards, startled. Her cry of surprise was lost in the explosion of rock and roaring flames.


	17. A Minor Problem

The lab exploded.

Chiyo leapt backwards, covering her face as superheated rock and metal shot out of the hole in the mountainside. Blinded by dust she flew upwards, only vaguely aware of the others around her, all fleeing the blast as quick as they could.

When the dust cleared, there was a single plateau left where a mountain had been moments ago. Chiyo rubbed the pieces of rock out of her hair and shook the dust from her clothes.

"Are you okay?" Kuririn asked her.

"Yeah," Chiyo lied. Her head and ears were aching from the several explosions she had endured over the past five hours. She felt dizzy and nauseous from the shock of the explosion. But the others were fine, so she was determined to be fine, too.

"What was that for, idiot?" Vegeta snapped, turning on Trunks. "That was pointless!"

"What? Why?" Trunks said.

"Take a look over there."

Chiyo followed Vegeta's gaze and felt her stomach clench in fear. Two figures were standing on the plateau. One was holding a large white tank.

"Like I said," Vegeta added. "Pointless."

Eighteen tossed the tank on the ground and bent over it. A few moments later the tank lid began to rise. She kicked it off and stepped back.

Seconds later, a hand rose from the tank, and Android Sixteen followed it.

Chiyo didn't know quite what she was expecting, but she wasn't expecting the Android to be so tall. He was at least as tall as Piccolo so far as she could tell, maybe even taller.

But there was something different about him that she couldn't quite place. He stood apart from the other Androids, staring out to the mountains while Seventeen and Eighteen seemed to be talking amongst themselves. Eventually they left, and Sixteen followed them.

"They're gone," Kuririn said, sighing in relief. "Thank God."

"But where are they going? What are they doing?" Tenshinhan asked, glancing at Piccolo. The Namekian stared in the direction the Androids had left, scowling.

"Evidently they won't be attacking North City," Piccolo said after a moment. "It's the wrong direction. They're heading south-east."

"Goku!" Kuririn exclaimed. "They're going to Goku's house! Gero's goal was to punish Goku for destroying the Red Ribbon Army, remember?"

"No!" Chiyo said, and shot forward - but Piccolo moved to block her way.

"Don't," he said. "You'll be killed."

"I don't care!" Chiyo shouted, clenching her fists. "I have to try and stop them before they kill Papa!"

"Chiyo," Kuririn said quietly. "We're not going to let the Androids hurt your dad. Or your mom. They -"

She rolled to the side, raising her chi in a burst of speed to get around Piccolo; her size made her agile and quick. She would have escaped if Piccolo hadn't whipped out an arm, grown unnaturally long, and struck her hard.

The force of the blow sent her flying, tumbling over and over until her muddled senses recovered enough to slow her down.

She righted herself, glaring at Piccolo while rubbing her cheek, already swollen from her fight with Twenty earlier in the day. Tears came to her eyes as she touched the bruised flesh, but she didn't cry. She was too old and well-trained to make a fuss over a little blow like that, even if it did sting like anything.

"Don't be stupid!" Piccolo growled. "They'll toss you aside like nothing. You won't help at all."

"Then you help!" Chiyo said, blinking furiously. "Please. Don't let them get to Papa."

"We won't," Kuririn said, patting her on the shoulder. "We just need to figure out where they went."

"I don't care where they went!" Vegeta snapped. "I, Vegeta, was right here. And they ignored me! Did they think I wasn't worth their time?"

He made to fly away, but was blocked by Trunks.

"No, stay here!" he said. "Don't go after them!"

Vegeta sneered. "You mean until Kakarrot gets better?"

"Kakarrot? Oh...Goku. Yes, that's right," Trunks replied grimly. "We'll never win unless we all fight together, including Goku!"

"Heh, you've got the wrong idea! It's not the Androids I hate the most - it's Kakarrot! I'll beat them myself, with no help from him. And after that, I'll kill Kakarrot myself. Now - stay out of my way!"

"You can't!" Trunks argued. "That's insane - you can't do it by yourself. You'll just be going to your death!"

Vegeta's fist connected squarely with the young man's solar plexus. Trunks doubled over with a groan. "I said, get out of my way!"

"What was that all about?" Kuririn said, puzzled, as Vegeta left at top speed. "Hey, are you okay?"

"P-please stop him," Trunks said, through gritted teeth. "We have to w-wait until Goku gets better. Or we'll be doomed..."

"But Vegeta's long gone," Kuririn replied, sighing. "We'll never catch up to him now. Damn it! I wish Goku was here."

"We have to go after him!"

Piccolo nodded grimly. "Then there's no time to waste." He glanced over at Chiyo. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," she replied, avoiding his eyes.

"Then let's get going."

~oOo~

Like Twenty and Nineteen before them, the new Androids had no chi. However; Vegeta's chi was blazing bright, making it easy for Kuririn, Tenshinhan, Piccolo, Trunks and Chiyo to follow him. All were flying at top speed, and Chiyo could feel her muscles begin to ache. She wasn't out of shape, but she wasn't used to flying such long distances all at once. As tired as she was, she would rather die than admit it.

Vegeta's chi had been moving, but it had stopped for some time - he had probably found the Androids. Even though she didn't like Vegeta, Chiyo didn't want him to be killed. She hoped he wouldn't die before they got there.

"There," Trunks called, pointing below. He dropped down, indicating for the rest of the group to follow.

Below was a highway winding around a mountain. Part of the road was destroyed and a the skeletal remains of a truck were crumpled in the crater left behind. There were three people standing on the road, with Vegeta's chi somewhere nearby.

Chiyo recognised Eighteen, Sixteen and Seventeen as she landed. Seventeen and Sixteen were standing off to the side. Sixteen seemed disinterested in the fight; he was staring blankly over the horizon, arms by his sides. Seventeen was watching, arms folded, as Eighteen waited beside a hole in the rock wall.

"Vegeta, are you okay?" Trunks called.

To the small girl's shock Vegeta came stomping out of the hole in the rock wall, clearly injured.

"Little pests!" he snapped. "You think you stand a chance?!"

Out of the corner of her eye, the small girl saw Seventeen talking to Sixteen in a low voice. After a hurried conversation, the dark-haired Android began to approach them.

"There's another one coming," Tenshinhan warned.

"We should get out of here," Trunks said, casting a nervous glance at Eighteen. "There's no point in pride if you get yourself killed. Please!"

"You want another beating?" Vegeta sneered. "Get out of my sight!"

"You can run away if you want," drawled Eighteen, folding her arms. "We're not interested in those who run."

"You must be joking. I was just about to finish you off!" Vegeta said, laughing. "Don't associate me with them. I'd rather die fighting alone than join hands with these Earthlings, the Namekian, Kakarrot's half-breed brat or Kakarrot!"

Vegeta's angry tirade was interrupted by sarcastic applause.

"Nice speech," Seventeen said in his soft, menacing voice. "That and those fighting skills…you're a Saiyan prince, all right."

"I don't need a puppet's praise!" Vegeta snapped. "You're just a brat under that armour."

"All of you - listen! I know you respect the code of the warrior, so I don't expect anybody to interfere with Vegeta and Eighteen's match." Seventeen indicated Kuririn, Tenshinhan, Piccolo, Trunks and Chiyo with his head. "But if you do, then I'll have to butt in."

"They're pacifist worms," the Saiyan replied. "You don't have to do anything to stop them from meddling."

"Are we gonna continue?" Eighteen said.

"Of course."

She and Vegeta vanished. Chiyo followed Vegeta's chi and caught glimpses of him trading blows with the Android.

Maybe he can beat them after all, she thought, watching as Vegeta dealt Eighteen a blow that sent shockwaves through the road they were standing on.

"What's going on?" Kuririn demanded, eyes darting left and right. "I can't see them!"

"Vegeta is winning," Chiyo reported, the ground shuddering as Vegeta kicked Eighteen in the face.

"Get her!" Trunks cheered. Piccolo and Tenshinhan said nothing, just watched.

Ten minutes passed, and Chiyo was beginning to have doubts. The fight continued in exactly the same vein as before, except where Vegeta previously had the advantage, now he seemed to be at a loss for what to do. He began to miss openings in Eighteen's defence; openings which even Chiyo couldn't miss, and he was suffering for it.

"He's going to be killed!" Piccolo growled suddenly. "Look…the Android is slowly wearing him down. It never loses power, but Vegeta is losing stamina with every move."

To Chiyo's horror, she realised he was right. The Saiyan was being beaten by Eighteen. Slowly but surely she was gaining the upper hand, and her blows hurt him ten times more than he hurt her.

Vegeta screamed in pain as Eighteen punched him to the ground.

"Stop!" Trunks shouted, as the Saiyan made to rise.

But Vegeta couldn't hear him. He lunged for Eighteen, but his blow missed. Her foot lashed out and smashed into his arm, and Vegeta's scream of agony echoed across the mountain. He fell to his knees, clutching his broken arm.

"NO!" Trunks shouted, leaping off the highway. "I'm coming, Father!"

He pulled the sword from his scabbard and, transformed into Super Saiyan. Then he was gone, flying straight for Eighteen.


	18. Overwhelmed

Trunks attacked.

Sword high, he rushed towards Eighteen, who stood casually over Vegeta. The blonde Android turned, watched the half-Saiyan coming with amusement, and raised an elbow to block his sword attack. Trunks's defiant cry cut short as the blade bounced off her arm and cracked.

There was a flash of dark hair, and Seventeen appeared behind Trunks. The others barely had time to react before the dark-haired boy knocked Trunks to the ground.

"Let's get them!" Tenshinhan said grimly.

"D-don't you think you're b-being too hasty?" Kuririn called, but Tenshinhan and Piccolo were gone, rushing into the fray to attack Seventeen. Chiyo went to follow, but he grabbed her arm.

"No way," Kuririn said, shaking his head. "You'll get hurt, and you know your mother would murder me!"

Chiyo stepped away from the edge of the road. She felt like a coward for not helping, but her aching cheek was a reminder not to be hasty. So she watched instead.

Piccolo went straight for Seventeen. Earlier, he had all but defeated Twenty in just a few blows, but it was clear that he was no match for Seventeen. One kick and the Namekian was down, crashing to the ground with a grunt of pain.

Right behind him was Tenshinhan. He threw a punch at the Android, but Seventeen moved around him slowly, almost lazily. His arms wrapped around the human's neck and he began to choke him.

Chiyo started forward, but a muttering from Kuririn made her pause again.

"Why isn't he fighting?" he said in a low voice, glancing over to the left. "What's he planning?"

Chiyo followed his gaze. It was Sixteen, the Android that had been awoken by Eighteen. He stood a little way off on the highway, staring into the distance without bothering to watch the fight. To Chiyo's astonishment, he held out his hand and a bird landed on it; a red-breasted robin like the ones that nested near her home. She opened her mouth to comment, but a flash of chi from the battlefield caught her attention.

Piccolo was up and lunging for Seventeen, who was still choking Tenshinhan. The Android dropped him as Piccolo approached. To her immense relief, Chiyo still sensed chi still flickering within Tenshinhan's body.

Piccolo threw a punch, but this time, Seventeen dodged around his attack as he had Tenshinhan's. His fist slammed into the Namekian's gut, so hard Chiyo could see it through his back.

As Piccolo dropped, coughing up blood, Chiyo prepared herself. She knew she would have to fight, but this time there was nobody there to step in if she got hurt. And she would be fighting someone whose strategy she knew nothing about, unlike the fights with her father and brother at home.

She took a running jump off the ledge and headed for Seventeen, who watched the fallen fighters with a smile of amusement.

He turned his cold gaze on her, and she almost faltered. A quick glance at Tenshinhan and Piccolo's fallen bodies kept her going. She lunged for him, punch aimed for his face - as if in slow motion she saw him begin to move around her. Before he could strike she shot upwards, using her chi to move faster than the eye could see.

Inwardly she cheered, but her triumph was dampened seconds later when the Android's hand lashed out, grabbing her ankle. The world spun violently, the wind roaring past her ears - the last thing she saw was the ground rising to meet her.

~oOo~

An explosion forcibly shook the ground hard enough to wake Chiyo. She rolled over, wincing as rocks cut into her side, and groaned.

Vegeta raced past her, nothing more than a dark blur as he attacked Eighteen, who stopped him with an elbow in the face. She kicked him in the chest, stepping aside neatly as he fell, then jumped on his back.

Chiyo rose to one knee, swallowing hard as her muscles protested vehemently. Her head felt light and fuzzy and she had to blink hard to focus on Eighteen.

Everyone else was down. Piccolo, Trunks and Tenshinhan's chi had faded a lot, though they were still alive. Kuririn's chi was flickering strangely, but he seemed to be okay.

Vegeta's scream cut through her haze of pain, and she began to gather chi in her palms.

Chiyo had been learning to control her chi during the last year of her training. Goku and Gohan had taught her two techniques - Kamehameha and Masenko - and from there she had worked secretly to develop her own techniques.

Chi blasts sprang from her hands, and she fired them at Eighteen, knowing they weren't as powerful as she'd have liked - but maybe with luck, she could distract her long enough to get Vegeta away.

Eighteen casually stepped out of the way to avoid the chi blasts, but Chiyo had expected this. She drew back her hands and clenched her fingers. The blasts rebounded off the rock wall and came back for Eighteen. Before the Android could avoid the blasts they hit her in the face, throwing up thick black smoke.

Chiyo dodged around the cloud and ran for Vegeta. He was in the worst shape, she figured. If she could get him away from the Androids, give him her senzu seed, he could help her get the others away...

She was almost there when a slender hand shot out from the smoke and grabbed her by the hair.

"Brat," the voice of Eighteen hissed, as Chiyo shrieked in surprise. "You burnt my hair."

Her knee smashed into Chiyo's stomach, and the world went black.


	19. Desperate Move

Chiyo drifted in and out of consciousness for what seemed like hours. Red spots danced in front of her eyes and the world tipped around her; giddy and sick, she lay staring at the expanse of sky above her.

Garbled words floated from somewhere out of her vision, and she strained to hear the conversation.

"Kuririn?" she muttered groggily.

Immediately a face appeared looming over her, his grin familiar.

"Welcome back," he said.

Chiyo sat up, wincing, and glanced around. She was at the base of the cliff half covered in broken rocks.

The Androids were nowhere to be seen. Tenshinhan, Piccolo and Trunks stood a few feet away, talking amongst themselves. Vegeta stood apart from their group, staring into the sky.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You took a pretty bad hit, kiddo," Kuririn said, and helped her stand. "I had to give you a senzu seed to get you up."

Chiyo made a face. "That bad?"

"Don't feel bad about it. I had to give a senzu to everyone. Those Androids must hit pretty hard."

Chiyo and Kuririn made their way back to the group.

"...they even knew about the senzu seeds?" Piccolo was saying.

Tenshinhan shook his head. "Then why didn't they finish us off?"

"They didn't feel we were worth killing," Piccolo said. "They couldn't care less if we live or die. Small wonder…they're incredibly strong. Too strong. I never imagined…"

Vegeta's chi flared, and there was a burst of light as he transformed into Super Saiyan.

"Vegeta!" Kuririn yelled, but the Saiyan was gone. His sudden departure created a wind that threw the dust in their eyes.

Trunks began to fly after him, but at a gesture from Piccolo he stopped.

"Leave him alone. He finally recovered his long-wounded arrogance when he became a Super Saiyan, and then he got his insides kicked out by a woman. Or at least an Android that looks like one. He won't be in the best mood."

"I'm sorry," Kuririn muttered. "I got scared and couldn't even face them."

"Forget about it," Piccolo rumbled. "Trunks was a Super Saiyan and he was felled in one blow. You would've made no difference."

"This is the being who killed Freeza," Tenshinhan said grimly. "And even he was powerless against the Androids. We've got to face facts! Goku is powerful, but he's not so different from Trunks or Vegeta. We can't win! Not even with Goku."

"They were a little different from the Androids I knew," Trunks said thoughtfully.

Piccolo shot a glance at him, frowning. "What do you mean?"

"Those ones weren't that terribly strong. I could put up a decent fight by myself."

"It's hopeless," Tenshinhan said, sighing. "What are we going to do now?"

"You hurry to Son Goku's house and move him somewhere else," Piccolo replied. "We can think about our options after he gets better."

"Right." Kuririn glanced at the Namekian. "But what're you gonna do?"

Piccolo stared at the ground. Chiyo noticed that his fists were clenched at his sides.

"Who knows."

"What's that look on your face? Do you have a plan?" Kuririn pressed. "C'mon, tell us! We're your friends!"

"Shut up!" Piccolo roared, making the others jump violently. "Since when do you think I became your friend?"

"B-but..." Kuririn stammered. "Pic - "

"I'm a demon! Don't you ever forget that! I'm using you - to take over the world!"

Piccolo threw a chi ball into the centre of the group. Chiyo tumbled, caught off guard by the force of the explosion.

"Piccolo!" Kuririn shouted. "What d'you think you're doin'?!"

Piccolo had flown into the air to escape the shockwave of his chi ball. He hovered high above them, looking oddly sinister.

"I'm leaving!" he shouted. "And anyone who tries to follow me will regret it! Just go to Son and forget about me!"

Chiyo scrambled to her feet as Piccolo left at top speed. Her cheek burned where shrapnel had hit her from the explosion. She rubbed at it absently, glaring into the sky.

"What was that all about?"

"Did I miss something?" Tenshinhan asked. "He used to be the great Demon King, I'd completely forgotten. Has he been plotting all this time?"

Kuririn's face relaxed into a smile. "Don't worry," he said. "I think 'taking over the world' is a pose. He's just like Goku and Vegeta."

"What do you mean?"

"He just wants to be stronger than anybody else," Kuririn continued, the smile fading. "Now he's gone to figure out his last resort. His trump card." At Tenshinhan's skeptical glance, he grinned and pointed to the sky. "You saw where he's flyin', right?"

Tenshinhan frowned. "No."

"He went to Kami-sama's lookout!"

Chiyo stared at Kuririn, completely bemused. He'd used the word kami, meaning god or guardian, but surely he couldn't mean...

"Kami-sama?" she echoed.

"That's right," Kuririn said, nodding at her. "The great elder of Namek told me that if Kami and Piccolo hadn't split into two, they - he - wouldn't have lost to the Saiyans. So I think he went to become the single entity that he used to be. Kami, God of Good and Piccolo, Lord of Evil…are gonna become a single Namekian warrior again. But Piccolo's improved over the years, so he'll be an amazing fighter. If Goku's a Super Saiyan, Piccolo will be a Super Namekian."

Tenshinhan raised an eyebrow. "But then there'll be no Kami-sama…and won't the Dragon Balls disappear?"

Kuririn nodded. "Yeah, probably. But if Piccolo or Kami gets killed, they're gone anyway." He stared at the ground. "If Piccolo's really givin' up his individual identity, then he must really feel cornered. That's how scary these enemies are. He used to hate everything about Kami."

"My father - I mean, Vegeta," Trunks interrupted. "We can't forget about him."

Kuririn smiled at him. "You don't have to hide it," he replied. "We all know you used to be the baby Bulma was carrying." He laughed. "I guess the only one who doesn't know is Vegeta!"

Trunks dropped his gaze. "I kept it from you. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Tenshinhan said, shrugging. "Vegeta isn't the one to run away just because he lost once. He's pride personified. I'm sure he'll come up with some devastating new attack and face the Androids again."

Chiyo glanced back and forth between her companions, her mind racing. Turtle elders? Kami-samas in palaces? Dragon Balls - now there was something she remembered from Papa's stories, but the rest of it went completely over her head,.

"Ready?"

Chiyo jerked, startled. "Huh?"

Kuririn gave her a gentle tap on the head and laughed. "Did I wake you?"

"No," she mumbled, blushing. "I don't understand most of what you said."

He smiled at her. "Don't worry, we'll explain more later. We're going to your house, and since you know the way best, you get to lead. How's that?"


	20. Evacuate

"He used to be the greatest martial arts master in the world," Kuririn explained.

Tenshinhan, Chiyo, Trunks and Kuririn were on their way to Mount Paozu. From North City the journey took around an hour - it was halfway across the continent, after all.

For the last twenty minutes Kuririn had been entertaining Chiyo with tales of his and Goku's exploits when they had been boys training under Muten Roshi, once the greatest martial artist in the world.

"Why Kamesen'nin, though?" Chiyo asked. "Turtle hermit is a funny name to call someone."

"Well, I don't know." Kuririn scratched his head, shrugging. "He lives on an island in the sea called Turtle Island - and he lives with a turtle. Maybe that's why. I'm sure you've been there before."

"Maybe. I don't remember."

"Hey, Kuririn," Tenshinhan interrupted. "I'm going to check in with Chaozu. I know he's worried."

"Sure."

"I'll be back before things turn bad again," Tenshinhan continued. "Though I don't think I'll be of any use."

Kuririn nodded. "We're movin' Goku to the Turtle House," he said. "It'll buy us some time."

"Okay. Be careful. Tell Goku not to try anything before he gets better."

Tenshinhan left, waving goodbye briefly before he disappeared. Chiyo turned to Kuririn.

"Who's Chaozu?"

"You've never met Chaozu? I could've sworn you..."

"I'm not sure why this timeline has changed so much," Trunks said suddenly, and the others glanced at him. "The Androids weren't so powerful when I lived this before. And there were just two of them."

"Don't ask me," Kuririn replied, his smile fading. "All I know is the reality I'm stuck in."

The journey continued on in grim silence, until Chiyo saw a familiar-shaped peak rise over the horizon.

"It's Mount Paozu!" she shouted joyfully, and sped ahead.

"Hey, slow down!" Kuririn spluttered. "Some of us don't get a strength boost after eating a senzu, y'know!"

"A what?" Chiyo said, rolling over in mid-air.

"I remember Vegeta once said a Saiyan gets stronger once they're brought back from the brink of death. That must happen to half-Saiyans too, right?" Kuririn sped up and weaved around her in mid-air, tweaking her nose as he passed by. Chiyo laughed. "You and Trunks are half-Saiyan. It probably works for Gohan, too."

The Son family home appeared over the next mountain ridge. It was a simple house, nestled in a large clearing on the otherwise forested mountain.

Chiyo, Trunks and Kuririn landed. The only sound was the singing of the stream flowing just past the house. It was too quiet, almost eerie, and the silence made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"I'm going to look 'round the back," Chiyo told her companions, trying to hold her voice steady. "In case the Androids have been here."

Trunks and Kuririn nodded grimly. Chiyo trotted around the side of the round house, silently thanking her father for making her wear soft shoes and not boots. Back pressed against the wall, she moved slowly around, keeping an eye out for any movements.

SLAM!

"Ow!"

A loud bang and a cry of pain made the whole house shake. Chiyo jumped violently, sweat breaking out on her forehead and the palms of her hands. She tore around the corner at a breakneck pace and skidded to a stop at the front of the house, struggling to catch her breath.

Kuririn, Trunks, Yamcha and Chi-Chi stood gathered around the doorway, looking startled at her sudden entrance. Kuririn had an angry welt on his head, but there were no Androids to be seen. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"My baby!" Chi-Chi shrieked, and in seconds Chiyo was swept off her feet and squashed in a hug almost tight enough to crack her ribs.

"M-mama, can't - breathe," she gasped, but her mother didn't seem to hear her.

"I'm so happy to see you're safe!" Chi-Chi cried, tightening her stranglehold.

"Chiyo!" said Yamcha, raising a hand in welcome.

"Hi!" Chiyo replied, wriggling out of Chi-Chi's grip. "Where's Papa? Can I see him?"

"Just in the main room," Yamcha said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "Kuririn, so what's this about movin' Goku to Turtle House?"

Chiyo made her way past Yamcha and went into the house, not bothering to drop her shoes on the pile beside the door. Inside it was cool, the curtains drawn to block the strong afternoon sunlight. There was a lingering smell coming from the kitchen, and Chiyo's stomach growled. She hadn't eaten since breakfast.

Goku was in the spare bed in the main room, which was empty except for a table strewn with various things from the medicine cupboard, and a bowl of water.

Chiyo hovered in the door for a few moments, staring at him. He was asleep, his face flushed from fever.

Finally courage won out, and she tiptoed into the room so she could sit on the stool by his bed. Tentatively she touched his forehead, then jerked back as the sudden heat of his flesh seared her skin. She went to the table and pulled the half-sodden cloth out of the bowl, then wrung it out and put it on his forehead.

"This will make you cooler," she whispered, brushing back his hair. Goku's head lolled to one side and he murmured in his sleep.

It seemed silly to talk to him while he was asleep, but she talked anyway. She told him what had happened in the past few hours, keeping her voice barely above a whisper. Then she simply sat and watched him quietly, and tried to swallow the painful lump in her throat.

"Chiyo?"

Chiyo jerked violently, almost falling off her stool. Trunks and Yamcha stood in the doorway, both watching her.

"Your mom says to get your things," Yamcha said. "We'll get your Dad out to the plane."

Chiyo sniffled and scrubbed her face on her sleeve.

"Okay," she said in a muffled voice. She hopped off the stool and left the room, looking anywhere else but them.

Five minutes later she left the house carrying her rucksack and found Kuririn, Yamcha, Trunks, Chi-Chi and Gohan waiting for her.

"Gohan!" Chiyo cried. She abandoned her bag and rushed over to him, hugging him tightly. "When did you get here?"

"Just now," her brother replied, ruffling her hair affectionately. She saw his dark eyes studying her red eyes and damp cheeks, but he didn't say anything. "Come on, hurry up."

It took another ten minutes for the plane to finally leave Mount Paozu, as Chi-Chi took the time to run around and gather last minute things. Eventually Chiyo chivvied her mother on the plane.

"Any more stuff and we won't be able to fly the plane!" she told her sternly. "If you want anything I can come back later and get it for you."

"Not on your life!" Chi-Chi retorted. "You are not coming back here until those Androids are taken care of!"

"Better pack for a longer stay, then," Trunks muttered.

Once the plane was in the air, Kuririn caught up Gohan, Yamcha and Chi-Chi on the day's events.

"You let Chiyo fight those - monsters?" Chi-Chi interrupted at one point, gasping in horror.

Kuririn looked terrified. "Well, er - I -"

"Kuririn told me to stay put," Chiyo said, grinning at his expression of gratitude. "I couldn't."

"You could have been hurt, young lady!"

"But Mama - you didn't see what happened. The Androids were hurting them. Sides, I'm still alive, ain't I?"

"Aren't," Chi-Chi corrected. "And that's not the point."

"Are they that powerful?" Gohan asked.

"Yeah…way stronger than what Trunks told us. And not to mention they think killing Goku is some kind of game."

"What are we gonna do?" Yamcha said from the cockpit.

Chi-Chi suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream, startling everyone.

"Oh, what was I thinking?" she gasped. "We don't have any time to waste!" She began to untie one of the rucksacks. "We've got to hurry!"

Gohan scooted over to her. "What are you talking about, Mom?"

Chi-Chi pulled a pile of books from the rucksack and dumped them in front of him. "Let's hit those books, Gohan!"

"But..." Gohan looked at the pile in dismay. "I can't study now!"

"Don't you talk back to me, young man. You've got to finish your homework."

Kuririn began to laugh. "And I thought I had it rough!"

"Chiyo, where did you put your homework?" Chi-Chi murmured, digging through the bag. "I could have sworn I saw it..."

"Um..." Chiyo put on her best 'innocent' face. "I didn't pack it."

"What?! Why not?!" Chiyo put her hands on her hips. "You know study is important, Chiyo! You have to work hard so you can get into a good school and get a good job!"

"But we have more important things to do," Chiyo said, bewildered. "Gohan agrees with me, don't you?"

"Leave me out of this," Gohan said in a whisper, his face hidden behind a book.

Chi-Chi sat down on Goku's bed and crossed her arms. "When we get back home, you're going to do all your homework. All of it. And you'll show me when you're done – understood, young lady?"

"Yes, Mom."

Chiyo slid down the wall of the plane, sighing. She was very tired. Even though the senzu seed had restored her chi, the overwhelming amount of events that had happened that day began to take its toll.

The conversation in the plane lowered to a murmur. Chiyo curled up in a ball on the floor and eventually drifted off to sleep.


	21. A New Development

Chiyo awoke much later to her mother gently shaking her.

"Yesmama?" she murmured, rubbing her eyes.

"We're almost at the Turtle House," Chi-Chi said. "You must have been tired. You slept through the whole journey."

Chiyo clambered to her feet and peered out the window. The sky and sea were a brilliant blue, and they stretched out as far as the eye could see. There was a tiny dot in the centre of the expanse of water.

"Is that it?" she asked.

"Yes." Chi-Chi looked over her daughter's dark head. "I used to bring you here when you were just a baby."

"We're coming up to the Turtle House now," Yamcha called.

Chiyo turned away from the window and glanced around. "Where's Gohan and Trunks?"

"We'll explain later," Kuririn said grimly.

"Someone fly ahead and let Kamesen'nin know we're coming," Yamcha said.

Chiyo raised her hand. "I'll do it." The atmosphere in the plane was tense, and she was beginning to feel restless.

Yamcha opened the plane's door and Chiyo toppled out, laughing at her mother's exasperation. Giggling, she let the wind carry her down, tumbling over and over, before heading for the island.

The island was only big enough for the one building, which had the letters 'KAME HOUSE' written on the side. An old man, a pig and a turtle were outside waiting for her. Chiyo landed on the shore before them and glanced around. The island was very small, but there was a beach of sorts framed by palm trees out the front. The air tasted like salt.

"Who's the kid?" the pig said in a loud whisper.

"Son Goku's girl," said the old man. He studied Chiyo closely, his eyes barely visible behind large sunglasses. "Long time no see."

Chiyo, who was in the middle of bowing, looked confused. "So I have been here before?"

The pig snorted. "Kid, you practically lived here."

"Oh...right. Well, Yamcha sent me to tell you he's bringing the plane around to land."

"Yeah, we'll clear th' way," Kamesen'nin muttered. He turned and began to walk back into the house, leaning heavily on his cane. "Hurry up, pig, unless you want to get squashed. Island's not big enough to stand out here gawkin'."

~oOo~

"And that's what happened."

Yamcha, Kamesen'nin and Oolong sat transfixed as Kuririn fell silent. He had explained everything, from the appearance of Twenty and Nineteen to the discovery of another time machine just like Trunks's in the West 10-50 area.

Chiyo only paid attention to the new information. While she had slept, Bulma had faxed a picture of a battered time machine that looked exactly like Trunks's. He and Gohan had gone to investigate.

"So that's th' whole story, huh?" Kamesen'nin said. He'd taken off his sunglasses, and his sharp eyes fixed on Kuririn as he talked.

Kuririn nodded. "Let's just hope that Goku gets better before the Androids get here."

"All we can do now is hope."

Oolong drained his glass of juice and belched loudly. "Hey, if the Androids come to Goku's house an' don't find him, don't it make sense that this is the first place

they'll come?"

Yamcha shrugged. "Yeah, that seems logical."

"Then what the hell're we waitin' around for?" Oolong exclaimed frantically, leaping to his feet. "We should get outta here before we die!"

"There's one thing you're forgettin'," Kamesen'nin said, thumping his fist on the table. "I'm still here! Right Kuririn?"

"Hurray for our side," Oolong said sarcastically.

"Hey, pig!" Kamesen'nin wheezed, pushing his face close to Oolong's. "I'm Muten Roshi, th' supreme master of all martial arts. I was once th' strongest fighter'n th' world!"

"Really?" Chiyo asked, her eyes bright with interest.

Kamesen'nin opened his mouth to reply, but Oolong cut him off.

"Don't tell the kid lies!" he said. "That was a long time ago, and now you're justa washed up old man who couldn' fight 'is way outta paper bag - and you know it!"

Chiyo shot a puzzled glance at Kuririn, who shrugged.

"Ah, shut up," he said as Oolong and Kamesen'nin began to argue. "We've got more important things to worry 'bout. Like where Gohan and Trunks are. I hope they're okay."

"Ah, the boys'll be fine," Kamesen'nin said indifferently. "They can take care of themselves."

Chiyo hopped off her chair and slipped upstairs. Her mother was kneeling beside the makeshift futon in which Goku was lying. She looked worried.

"How's Papa?" Chiyo asked, dropping down beside her.

"Sleeping," Chi-Chi answered. "He's not completely well yet, but he's getting there." She glanced at her. "Give me those clothes before I forget, Chiyo. I'll mend them for you."

Chiyo stripped off her torn shirt and pants and gave them to her mother. She untied her rucksack and pulled out a battered pair of blue pants.

"I need to train, Mom," Chiyo explained, noticing her mother's disapproving look. "If the Androids come here I need to be prepared."

"You should be studying," Chi-Chi said tersely. "With all this going on, you could fall behind by months. Then where would you be?"

"Papa's life's worth more than some dumb homework!" Chiyo said heatedly. "We're gonna need everyone ready if the Androids are coming. Or do you want Papa to die?"

Chi-Chi stared at her daughter for a moment, blinking.

"How could you say such a thing?" she cried. "Where did you learn how to speak to your mother like that? I certainly didn't teach you!"

Chiyo dropped the shoe and clambered into her mother's lap, feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry, Mom," she said, burying her face in Chi-Chi's neck. "Don't cry. I didn't mean to upset you. But I gotta be ready to help everyone with the Androids. You didn't see them...they were so strong, and they hurt everyone so easily. What would they do to Papa? He's sick and he needs me. You understand, right?"

Chi-Chi pulled back and studied her daughter's young face for a moment. She sighed.

"If you're going to train, you'd better get started." As Chiyo leapt up, Chi-Chi seized her hand. "But I want you to work extra hard and make me proud, you understand?"

"Thank you! Love you!"

Chiyo ran down the stairs two at a time. Kamesen'nin, Yamcha, Oolong and Kuririn were watching TV.

"Where're you goin'?" Yamcha asked, glancing at her.

"Outside to train."

"Count me in," the fighter said, leaping over the low couch. "These three are watchin' some movie. Borin' stuff."

"It's a romance," Oolong snapped. "Which you would knew 'bout if you hadda shred of class!"

The air was cool outside despite the bright sunshine, and Chiyo looked longingly at the ocean.

First work, then play, she told herself, and tested the ground with her shoes. Sandy and slippery, not at all like where she was used to train. After a moment's thought, she took off her shoes and put them aside.

"Good idea," Yamcha said. He'd taken his own shoes off and was stretching. "Does your mom know you're training?"

"Yep." Chiyo began to stretch. "I think she wants me to study, but homework's not gonna help me if the Androids find Papa here."

"Yeah, I hear you." Yamcha straightened, raising an eyebrow as she assumed an opening stance. "Guess it's pretty obvious who trained you, huh?"


	22. An Enemy Never Known Before

"_The greatest griefs are those we cause ourselves."_

- Sophocles, _Oedipus Rex_

"Chiyo!"

Chiyo ducked into a roll and sprang back up, gasping for breath.

For the last two hours she'd been training hard, practicing familiar routines and things she'd picked up from her spar with Yamcha. He'd gone a few rounds with her before joking that she'd worn him out, and gone back inside to watch TV.

"Hey, Chiyo!"

Chiyo hopped to the door and pulled it open, sticking her head inside.

"Yeah?"

Kuririn, Yamcha, Kamesen'nin and Oolong were watching the TV, looking grave. Kuririn put a finger to his lips and beckoned her over, clutching the telephone to his ear. Chiyo went inside and crowded close to them, blinking at the screen.

"We just received an update," a news anchor was saying, "The investigative team in Ginger Town has discovered many pieces of clothing believed to belong to the victims."

"What's this?" Kamesen'nin muttered, leaning forward.

"Let's turn to our correspondent on the scene," the news anchor said.

The screen switched to a man with a microphone standing on an empty road.

"Yesterday, fifteen thousand people lived in Ginger Town," the reporter said gravely. "Today, they're gone. And now another disturbing discovery has been made."

"Shit," Yamcha swore. "Fifteen _thousand?!"_

"All we find are empty pierces of clothing - as if the residents had just melted away." The camera panned to the right, showing discarded items of clothing lying on the empty roads. "The clothes in this picture show a rifle lying nearby, suggesting that they were fighting something to the last…"

"It's the Androids!" Kuririn exclaimed. "They've struck at last!"

_"I don't think so,"_ blared Bulma's voice from the telephone. _"I'll bet Gohan and Trunks would agree with me."_

"Meaning this has something to do with the other time machine," Kuririn said grimly.

_"That's my guess,"_ Bulma replied grimly. _"Ask them for details when they get here."_

"Right_._"

Chi-Chi appeared on the stairs wiping her hands on a cloth, smiling.

"Goku's resting peacefully, and he seems to be feeling better now," she said. No-one turned around; they were still focused on the TV.

Moments later the door banged and she heard Gohan's voice.

"We're back! Oh, Master Muten. Hi."

Gohan and Trunks came inside. They looked puzzled to see everyone gathered around the TV, frowning.

"Listen to this news story," Kuririn said. "Tell us what's going on."

"News story?" Gohan repeated, puzzled.

Screams blared from the TV speakers. Chiyo began to sweat, her stomach clenching in anxiety.

"We've just heard screaming," the reporter cried. "Gun shots! We hear gun shots! Members of the investigative team and the police are shooting at something."

The screams died away suddenly.

"It's gone quiet," the reporter said. "If we can take a closer look and see what's happening-"

All of a sudden, the man's face went white. His mouth hung open, eyes wide, shaking in fear. He dropped the microphone -

Then the screen went blank.

"Turn to another channel!" Yamcha said.

Kuririn flipped channels. This time the camera was on, but it showed only the deserted road. Some discarded clothing lay nearby. There was no-one to be seen, but faint screams rang out from the town. They were cut off abruptly, one by one, and silence fell. Kuririn sat down, looking sick.

"This has to be connected to what we found," Trunks burst out. He began to pace back and forth. Chiyo saw his fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were white.

"So...what did you find?" Kuririn asked.

Quickly, Trunks and Gohan explained what had happened in the West 10-50 area, and Chiyo listened intently, becoming more and more anxious by the minute.

Two Androids running around was bad enough, especially when Goku wasn't well enough to deal with them. But there was something else out there ... something that killed an entire town full of people. She could hardly fathom it.

Just as Trunks stopped talking, the TV screen switched back to the newsroom.

"We are still unable to contact our correspondents," the news anchor said. "We may have to assume the worst."

"So, you are saying there was some monster inside that shell?" Kuririn asked.

Trunks nodded. "We found its shed skin, like a cicada. I think it's close by as well. I'm going to go to Ginger Town and check it out."

"Don't!" Yamcha and Kuririn said in unison.

"I'll be okay. I can become a Super Saiyan." Trunks looked grim. "The ones I need to fear are the Androids."

"Yeah, that's true, but..."

"I'll go too," Gohan said.

Chiyo jumped up. "Me too!"

"No," Gohan said, turning around. "You'll just get in the way, Chiyo."

"Hey! No fair! Just because _you're_ - "

"Stop it!" Chi Chi snapped. "Goku is still sleeping, and you should both be good and stay here."

"Mother," Gohan said in an exasperated tone. "Dad is still sick, that's why - "

"No, you can't! Even if this house disappears, I want you both to stay close to me."

Chiyo scowled. "Why?"

"I'm going to go alone," Trunks interrupted, shaking his head. "Gohan, Chiyo, you stay here with everyone else and keep Goku safe in case the Androids come."

Gohan nodded. "Okay, I understand_._"

Chiyo grumbled mutinously, but she let her arms drop beside her with a sigh.

"Hey, don't overdo it," Kuririn said. "If it gets dangerous, come straight back."

"Yeah, we need your help in fightin' the Androids," Yamcha agreed. "We're goin' to need a couple of Super Saiyans."

"Okay. I'll go now."

Trunks left. Yamcha, Kuririn, Oolong and Kamesen'nin settled back down in front of the TV. Chi-Chi went upstairs, muttering to herself. Gohan and Chiyo went outside.

The sun was beginning to edge towards the horizon, throwing a golden light over the ocean. As soon as Chiyo reached the water's edge, she rounded on him.

"Why did you say I would get in the way? That was _mean_, Gohan."

"I didn't really mean it," Gohan said apologetically. "But you know Mom wouldn't have let you go anyway."

"It's not _fair!_" Chiyo exploded. She kicked a nearby palm tree so it shuddered dangerously, and fisted her hands in her hair. "I'm not a baby! I don't want to stay here while everyone else goes to fight."

Gohan didn't seem bothered by her anger; on the contrary, he looked sympathetic. He patted her shoulder and gave her a small smile. Blinking hard, Chiyo looked away.

"I worked so hard," she said eventually. "I don't want it to be for nothin'."

"It won't be," Gohan said, and drew her down to the sand. They sat together, limbs splayed out, the water gushing over their bare feet. "I know it's hard staying here and seeing everyone else fight, 'specially when there's people you care about in danger. But Mom worries too, and she doesn't want to see you get hurt. And after what happened with the Androids..."

"They were so strong," she whispered, staring at her lap. "If we don't stop them, they'll kill everyone."

"Well, then we should train." Gohan stood up, brushing the sand off his clothes, and offered a hand to her, grinning at her surprised expression. "Come on. Training's easier with a partner, right? That's what Dad always said."

~oOo~

When the sun began to set, Gohan and Chiyo flopped down on the beach, sore and tired and hot.

"The air smells different here," Chiyo said, breathing deeply. "It smells like salt and fish. Don't you think?"

Gohan didn't answer. Chiyo rolled over and sat up, staring at him.

"Gohan?"

Gohan stood up, wheeled around and hurried back inside. Puzzled, Chiyo followed.

Yamcha, Kuririn, Oolong and Kamesen'nin were sitting on the couch talking amongst themselves.

"Hey," Kuririn said, glancing up. "What's the matter, Gohan?"

"I..." Gohan took a seat. "I know it's weird, but I think there's two Piccolo's."

"Huh?" Yamcha raised an eyebrow. "Two Piccolo's?"

"He's right." Kuririn frowned. "Can't you feel it? Weird."

Chiyo concentrated, and realized he was right. Among the larger chi of Earth's special forces, there was Piccolo's - one enormous chi signal, and another just like it.

"How can there be two Piccolo's?" she asked.

"There can't." Kuririn suddenly looked up. "Gohan...d'you sense what I'm sensing?"

"Freeza..." Gohan whispered. "And King Kold."

Kamesen'nin snorted. "What? That's ridiculous."

"No, I sense it too," said Yamcha.

"I thought Trunks destroyed Freeza and King Kold," Kamesen'nin said, puzzled.

Gohan frowned. "Me too...it feels like they're both alive and well in Ginger Town."

Chiyo glanced at the others, completely bewildered. The chi she was sensing felt malevolent and powerful, but not overwhelmingly so. However, just as she was about to comment she felt another chi - and its familiarity stunned her.

"It's Papa!" she exclaimed. "I mean, two Papa's, but..."

"Yeah, it feels like he's there too," Yamcha said.

"No!"

Chiyo turned and dashed up the stairs. To her relief her father was in his bed, still sleeping. Chi Chi was dozing on a chair beside him, her face worn and pale.

"Papa is still upstairs," Chiyo said, once she was back downstairs with the others. "So he can't be in Ginger Town."

"Shit," Yamcha muttered. "What th' hell is goin' on there?"

Kuririn stood up. "I'm going to Ginger Town," he said. "Trunks and Piccolo might need some help." As Gohan and Chiyo began to rise, he held up a hand. "You guys stay here and look after Goku, okay? We'll let you know what's happenin' when we get back."

Chiyo slumped back in her seat, completely bewildered. How could there be two of Piccolo and Goku running around? If it wasn't them...then whose chi was it?


	23. Crisis In Ginger Town

As soon as it was safe, Chiyo climbed out of a window on Kame House's second storey and headed for Ginger Town. She couldn't sit idly at home anymore. Something terrible was out there - something even worse than the Androids. She had to know what was going on, even if it meant leaving Papa for a while.

_Mama will be mad_, she thought, and glanced back at the rapidly disappearing island. _But I can't sit around doing nothing._

She sped up; her heart thundered as she imagined what Kuririn and Trunks would say when she caught up to them. Would they be mad? Would they tell her to go back to the island? She hoped not. She didn't want to make any trouble for either of them, but she wouldn't go back.

To her surprise, Kuririn was waiting for her around twenty miles ahead. She sped up, grinning sheepishly. He didn't look mad, though. Just amused.

"I was wondering when you'd hurry up," he said. "I knew you wouldn't stay behind."

"Gohan's still there," Chiyo replied, a little sheepishly. "Papa will be okay for a little while. I just have a bad feeling about all this."

Kuririn shot her a dubious glance. "It'll be pretty dangerous. Don't you think your mom will be worried?"

"Mom always worries," Chiyo said dismissively. "What's the point of training if you just sit around all the time?"

Within ten minutes, Kuririn and Chiyo caught up to Trunks, who thankfully made no comment on Chiyo's presence.

"I feel another powerful chi," Trunks said as they flew towards Ginger Town. "There's someone else! Someone I don't know."

Chiyo concentrated and realised he was right. Apart from the strange mix of chi coming from the town, there was another...someone powerful. Another monster?

"It's Piccolo!" Kuririn exclaimed.

"What? But this chi..."

_Shouldn't Piccolo's chi feel familiar?_ Chiyo wondered.

"It's awesome!" Kuririn said. "They really merged!"

"Merged?" Trunks said, puzzled. "You mean and he and Kami...? I heard they used to be one, but..."

"They were! And if Piccolo was incredibly strong before...now he's a Super Namekian!"

"Kuririn, what do you mean?" Chiyo demanded. "Kami and Piccolo merged?"

"Okay, since we're not there yet...I'll tell you the story." Kuririn turned to face her in mid-air. "Long ago, there was a demon king called Piccolo. He was very evil and killed a lot of people - "

"Our Piccolo?!"

"Hey, just let me tell the story. Now this Piccolo was a terror to the world, but he was sealed away in a - er, prison, of sorts. By an old master called Master Mutaito."

Chiyo nodded. She had heard of Master Mutaito through her father's bedtime stories.

"King Piccolo was locked away for centuries before he was released. He used the Dragon Balls to make himself young again and made himself ruler of the world. Your dad defeated him, but before he died, Piccolo made a reincarnation of himself." At Chiyo's puzzled glance, he added, "Sort of like a kid, but just like him. His 'son' was also called Piccolo. That's our Piccolo."

"Ohhh!" Chiyo tilted her head to one side. "But Piccolo isn't evil."

Kuririn looked distinctly uneasy. "Er...yeah, that's right. Piccolo is on our side. But what your dad found out after he killed King Piccolo was that the demon and Kami used to be the same person. They split before Kami became...well, Kami. Because King Piccolo and our Piccolo are basically the same person, Piccolo can merge with Kami...and that's what he's done."

"Huh. Weird."

Kuririn laughed. "I guess it is. It's hard to get your head around, but this merging must have made Piccolo super powerful. Like...sort of like a Super Saiyan, only he's a Namekian."

There was a sudden crack like thunder, and a grey cloud bloomed on the horizon. Chiyo felt the air shudder.

"What was that?" she said, once the shockwave subsided.

"I don't know," Trunks said grimly, "but we'd better hurry."

~oOo~

Ginger Town looked exactly the same as the other towns Chiyo, Kuririn and Trunks had passed on the way from Muten Roshi's house, except it lacked the bustling activity. It lacked _any_ activity in fact; the only signs that anyone had ever lived in the town were pieces of clothing that lay abandoned in the dirt. Chiyo would have found it eerie, but she had other things to worry about.

"It's Piccolo!" Kuririn said. "Th-the other thing is..."

"It must be the creature that came out from that shell."

Chiyo followed the direction of their gaze. She couldn't see much from the air, but she recognised Piccolo's white cape blowing in the wind. The creature with him was too hard to see, so she dived for a closer look. Kuririn and Trunks followed.

Piccolo didn't acknowledge their arrival. He looked the same as usual…Chiyo was expecting him to look different, but in what way she didn't know. And the other thing with him...

It stood tall, though maybe just a little shorter than Piccolo. Its skin was green and mottled. It had two wings and a long tail that ended in a curved tip. It looked like a needle, and Chiyo's stomach squirmed at the comparison.

"That freak is what killed everyone in Ginger Town..." Kuririn muttered.

"Yes," Piccolo replied. "Watch its tail. That's how it absorbed everyone."

"And why am I feeling Goku's chi from it?"

"I'll tell you later. The first order of business is to finish it off."

"Finish me off?" the creature rasped. "Do you think it'll be that easy?"

"It..talked," Kuririn said, looking faintly sick. Chiyo edged a little closer to him, grimacing.

"I don't see how you have a chance in this situation," Piccolo growled.

"True. I'll have to retreat for now."

The Namekian grinned. "Do you think we'll let you? That pathetic _Kamehameha_ won't help you."

"_Kamehameha_?" Kuririn repeated, and shot a glance at Piccolo. "It can do that too?"

"Not just _Kamehameha_, Kuririn," the creature said slyly. "I could probably do a _Genki Dama_ too if I felt like it."

Chiyo stared silently at the monster. It was the ugliest thing she'd seen in her life, and even worse, it reminded her of a giant cockroach. The way it talked creeped her out.

"How did it even know my name?" Kuririn said in an undertone. "Goku will be shocked when he finds out..."

The creature's eyes widened. "Oh...Son Goku is alive?"

"Of course he is!" Chiyo said defiantly.

The creature turned its gaze on her for the first time, and she glared back at it. The lipless mouth stretched into a mocking smile.

"Son Chiyo, just a child in this reality," it mused. "And Son Goku, alive. History has changed a bit from what I knew..." its three-fingered hands clenched into fists.

"I will acquire 17 and 18! You won't be able to stop me from becoming complete! Not as long as Piccolo is the only one who can fight the Androids!"

It raised its hands to its face. Chiyo heard the others exclaim in surprise -

"_TAIYO-KEN!"_

A blast of light brighter than the sun hit the fighters directly in the face.

"Aaaarggghhhh!"

It felt like her eyeballs had been burnt right out of her head!

Chiyo staggered, clutching her face. It had blinded her somehow! Something called fist of the sun...whatever that meant, but now she had to rely on chi. And the creature's chi was suddenly gone.

"It got away!"

Trunks's voice. Chiyo lowered her hands and opened stinging, watering eyes. The city appeared, blurry at first, then clearer. Piccolo was in the air. Trunks and Kuririn were beside her. The monster was nowhere to be seen.

Piccolo landed.

"_Curse it all!_" he roared, and a white aura burst from his body. "I let down my guard!"

Chiyo watched the display of raw power with awe. Kuririn was right, she realised. Piccolo had merged with Kami...whoever Kami was, he must have been powerful.

"That thing..." Piccolo said, as he gradually returned to normal. "I can't let it achieve its final form."

"Is it gone?" Chiyo asked, glancing around. "There's another chi nearby."

"That's Vegeta, and he's above us," Piccolo replied. "You need to focus on recognizing the chi that you're sensing."

Chiyo looked up. Sure enough there was Vegeta, floating around fifty feet above them. He was staring at Piccolo.

She hadn't seen Vegeta since the run-in with the Androids, which seemed like forever. He looked much the same as ever, though she'd been told he took his defeat hard.

Vegeta landed in front of Piccolo. "Tell me what just happened here," he said.

"Tenshinhan's heading this way too," Piccolo said without turning around. "I might as well wait until he's here."

"First, then...I have to ask you something." Vegeta pointed at the Namekian. "Are you really Piccolo? Where did you get so much power suddenly?!"

"He merged with Kami-sama again," Trunks said.

"Wh-what...merged? That's all?"

Vegeta lapsed into silence. Chiyo shot a glance at him and saw him scowling. Piccolo was frowning too, deep in thought. She sighed and sat down in the dirt. Who knew how long it would take for Tenshinhan to get here?


	24. Deadly Encounter

"Hey! It's Tenshinhan!"

Chiyo jumped up, brushed dirt off her backside and looked up, squinting in the sunlight. Tenshinhan dropped from the sky and landed beside her.

"Piccolo," Kuririn said. "Or ...what should I call you? Tenshinhan's here, sir."

"All right," Piccolo replied, and turned around. "I'll tell you everything."

Chiyo listened intently as Piccolo began to explain what he had learned. Some of it went over the top of her head - she didn't know much about energy absorption or Dr Gero, but she knew enough to understand they were in trouble.

"So that's the story," Piccolo said finally. "To stop Cell from attaining its final form, we have to either find it and kill it, or find and kill Seventeen and Eighteen. I'd rather try to squash Cell while it's not so powerful."

"Wouldn't it be easier to find the Androids?" Chiyo asked. "We know they're on their way to my house. Couldn't we just ambush them?"

"Hey, that's not a bad idea," Kuririn said.

"Any time spent waiting around is time wasted," Piccolo replied with a shake of his head. "Cell would be easier to find. And it could intercept the Androids while we're waiting."

"So...we'd have to find this Cell somehow," Kuririn muttered. "Sheesh."

"Would we be able to?" Trunks wondered. "Now that it knows how powerful Piccolo is, it'll probably attack people with its chi suppressed."

"We must thwart its fusion," Tenshinhan said grimly. "Or else."

"Not just the Earth, but all the planets in the galaxy will be in danger." Piccolo looked around at the fighters before him. "Don't forget that it has Freeza's blood, too."

"And mine!"

Vegeta stepped forward before Chiyo had the chance to ask about Freeza. "All you have are petty plots. If it wants to merge, let it! There'll be less to beat down! It saves us trouble." He smirked. "I don't care what my enemies do. I'll just kill them all."

"Don't underestimate it, Vegeta." Piccolo fixed the Saiyan with a grim stare. "Cell is far stronger than the Androids - and you were powerless against them."

"Don't you preach at me!" Vegeta shouted, raising his fists. A vein bulged on his forehead - Chiyo could almost feel the rage radiating from him, and it was enough to make her take a step back. "Do you want me to start with you?! I will top myself. Mark my words! I'll transcend the Super Saiyan!"

"Transcend the Super Saiyan?" Trunks echoed, looking puzzled.

"Kakarrot will do the same. I'm sure of it." Vegeta turned his back on the staring fighters. "You guys piddle around among yourselves!"

With that he was gone, taking off so quickly he left a cloud of dust in his wake.

Kuririn gaped at the sky where he'd been seconds before.

"Is he serious? Can that even be done?"

"Maybe..." Chiyo said, and blinked as the others looked at her. "Maybe Super Saiyan was the most powerful cause nobody ever tried to go higher than that? But if Cell is stronger, then maybe we can get stronger too. It's worth a try, ain't it?"

There was a moment of silence, then Kuririn spoke.

"Say Trunks, even if you go a little bit into the past with your time machine and destroy the Androids - nothing will change, right?"

"Right," Trunks said. "The future in that timeline will benefit, but it will have no impact here."

"So there won't be any point in going to Dr. Gero's lab now and destroying Cell."

"There is a point," Trunks replied, his expression changing. "There will be no new Cell in this timeline, at least."

"You and Trunks go to the lab," Piccolo instructed. "Tenshinhan, Chiyo and I will look around a bit longer."

"Sure."

"If you can't find Cell, come to the turtle house," Kuririn said. "We might find out where he is from the news on TV."

"Be careful," Chiyo said.

Kuririn patted her on the shoulder, waved, and left with Trunks. Chiyo stood staring after them, wondering what she was going to be doing now.

"Chiyo."

Piccolo beckoned her over to where he and Tenshinhan were standing.

"I want you to listen carefully," he said, and she nodded. "We'll spread out. Head north - that way," he added, pointing, as Chiyo looked confused. "Keep your chi low and look out for signs that Cell might have been there, such as loose clothing or abandoned houses. If you see Cell, then raise your chi and Tenshinhan or myself will come."

Chiyo nodded again.

"Cell is very dangerous and very powerful. Whatever you do, don't try to fight it by yourself." Piccolo's dark eyes bored into hers intensely. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Piccolo."

"And if you get cornered, watch out for its tail. It's very fast." Piccolo's hand hovered over her for a moment, as if he was going to pat her on the head. But instead he pointed north. "Go. And good luck."

~oOo~

Chiyo headed north like Piccolo had instructed. She flew low, using the clouds as cover, and lowered her chi. It was nearly noon - her mother would have figured out by now that Chiyo was not in the upstairs room, or even on the island. But what else could she do?

It was too dangerous to waste time watching TV while everyone else was out looking for Cell. And for now Papa would be safe from the Androids, so she could help the others.

She watched idly as a town rolled by, wondering where Cell was and how many people it had absorbed. There'd been fifteen thousand in Ginger Town alone, and he'd had to have moved towns since then. She hadn't seen anything, though. One or two towns she'd come across were empty - ones that Cell had already been to. But she'd seen nothing of the monster itself, even though she'd searched all over towns.

A sudden flash of red caught her eye, and she slowed. She was flying above a wheat field, near what looked like a farm. A few machines were still in the field, but they were still and silent; a few items of clothing flapped in the wind as a testament to the residents' failed attempts to escape.

There were still people - one person, in fact - dodging and weaving through the field. But why?

Chiyo quickly suppressed her chi and dived for a closer look. A teenage boy was running as fast as he could from the farm, and following behind at a walk was Cell.

Great, she thought.

The boy tripped and fell, skidding in the grass. He was on his feet seconds later with bloody knees and eyes blinded with tears.

She felt a sudden surge of panic. She knew he couldn't outrun Cell. She had to do something - Cell was almost upon him -

Chiyo dived. Cell's tail missed as she swooped underneath and pulled the boy into the air. He clung to her, crying out in fear as the ground fell away, his only lifeline two small hands with an iron grip.

Cel straightened and looked up, its eyes narrowing. Chiyo landed a few feet away from the creature and gently pulled the boy's hands off her shirt.

"Go on," she said. "Get away from here."

"Thank you! Thank you!"

The boy left at top speed. Chiyo kept her eyes on Cell. She stared it down calmly, but her mind was racing. This was exactly the situation Piccolo had said not to get into, and she was in the middle of it. But what else would she have done?

Chiyo was no match for Cell and she knew it. She couldn't hope to fight it one-on-one; at least not for long. But maybe if she increased her chi...Piccolo would sense it and come. If she could hold it here long enough, maybe they could defeat it.

A car engine spluttered and then roared, the sound ringing across the tarmac. Cell's eyes darted to one side for a moment, then returned to her.

"So...Chiyo." Cell said her name almost mockingly. "How did you know I was here?"

"We're everywhere," Chiyo said. "Looking for you."

"And out of all you pests, it was the smallest and weakest that found me. I'll enjoy this."

Suddenly, Cell struck! Its tail whipped forward with the deadly point coming straight for her.

At the last second Chiyo dodged, throwing herself to the side and landing on one hand. She pivoted on her wrist and flipped as the tail came for her again.

And again! Dodge! Again!

Cell's tail snapped and whipped towards her, almost cracking the air with its speed, but Chiyo dodged and weaved, each time missing the needle-sharp point by millimetres. Silently she thanked her father for having the foresight to focus on speed instead of brute force - her training was clearly paying off, and the prospect of being 'absorbed' was a definite motivator.

After half a minute Cell withdrew its tail.

"You're a quick little imp."

Chiyo said nothing, but watched Cell carefully. It was still suppressing its chi. She needed it to show itself. Hers and Cell's chi in the same place would draw Piccolo and Tenshinhan like moths to a flame.

"Are you gonna fight me?" she said. "Or just stand there?"

Cell stared at her, then began to laugh.

"Arrogant little whelp!" it said. "You have no idea who you are facing."

Cell lunged - and Chiyo had a sudden, brilliant idea.

The monster was coming closer, closer...she had to time it perfectly, so it wouldn't realise until the last minute.

The creature was two feet away from Chiyo when she raised her hands to her face and shouted, "Taiyo-ken!"

FLASH!

"Aaaaarrrghhh!" Cell screamed.

The attack lit up the entire landscape, but this time it was Chiyo who was unaffected. She took off into the air, flying high to watch the car speeding along the road leading from the farm. The boy she saved was heading north, probably to the next town.

The flash faded quickly. Taiyo-ken had done its job - Chiyo had the advantage now. But as she glanced around for Cell, there was nothing but an empty field. Her triumph quickly turned to suspicion, then to slight panic. Where was it?

Crash!

"Aaaiiiieee!"

The sound of metal crumpling reached Chiyo's ears. She looked around. There was the car, still driving at top speed. And on top was Cell.

"You dirty - "

Chiyo didn't have time to be angry. She dived at full speed, and Cell turned around too late - she kicked him in the face as hard as she could.

"Aaaarghhh!"

Chiyo threw herself at Cell as he went flying. They tumbled over and over, fists and feet flying as they struggled. They broke apart metres before they hit the ground, landed and lunged again.

For a being five times bigger than her, Cell was fast. It took all of Chiyo's wits to keep the creature's tail away from her.

She leaped backward as Cell took another stab, the deadly tip missing her arm by millimetres. It was watching her closely, its eyes occasionally darting to the sky then back to her. She wondered what it was thinking.

"DIE!"

Cell lunged at Chiyo. Caught off guard, she staggered and barely dodged, sliding under its belly and kicking upwards.

Cell sprawled wildly, but it was quick; its tail whipped around and stabbed at her, scraping her arm.

"Ahhhh!"

She tried to roll away, but the tail came for her again. Chiyo grabbed it, the deadly tip inches from her face, and tried to push it away. But Cell's tail was pure muscle, and now it was moving closer despite her efforts. The sharp point was grazing her nose; she couldn't hold it any longer -

The tail gave a sudden jerk and withdrew. There was a flurry of movement and Cell disappeared, leaving Chiyo confused and panting with exertion. She scrambled to her feet and after a few seconds found Cell, a rapidly shrinking dot on the horizon. Seconds later, Piccolo and Tenshinhan landed.

"Curse it!" Piccolo roared. "Escaped again!"

Tenshinhan lowered his clenched fists and glanced at Chiyo, who looked flushed and angry. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied. She wiped her forehead impatiently, wincing when her hand brushed over her rapidly swelling eye.

Piccolo walked back over to them, his face dark.

"I told you not to fight Cell!" he growled at her. "Do you want to get killed?"

"I wasn't fighting it!" Chiyo shouted back, too angry to bother being polite. "I was saving a boy. They would have been killed if I didn't help them."

Piccolo's expression softened, if only slightly.

"Go back to Kame House," he said. "Tenshinhan and I will continue searching. You've done your part."

"But - "

"Gohan needs you." Piccolo looked at her sternly. "Your father needs you. We're relying on you to protect him if the Androids come."

Chiyo nodded reluctantly. She knew what Piccolo was saying was the right thing to do.

"Right now your mom is probably wondering where you are," Tenshinhan said. "We can take it from here."

"Yeah. Okay." Chiyo rose into the air, squinting at the bright concrete. "Good luck."

_Piccolo and Tenshinhan are right_, she thought as she left the airport behind. _It's Dad who needs me now._


	25. Welcome Back 2

May 15th, 767 A.D.

_Three days passed, in which the Z Fighters operated from Kame House. Kuririn and Chiyo returned a few hours after the crisis in Ginger Town along with Piccolo, Tenshinhan, and new information. The monster who had come out of the time machine was called Cell, and it was an Android like Eighteen and Seventeen - only this time, Cell was programmed to absorb Gero's unruly Androids through its stinger-like tail, to become a perfect being. After Ginger Town Trunks had left separately to train with Vegeta, though the others doubted he would be successful._

Because Cell had the ability to hide its chi it had escaped, and for three days had been terrorizing the people of Earth...

"The creature continues its path of destruction, sparing no-one," said the reporter.

Yamcha, Kuririn, Gohan, Tenshinhan, Piccolo, Muten Roshi, Chi-Chi and Chiyo were watching the news. Since Cell had escaped there had been numerous reports of towns being destroyed and thousands of people disappearing. They had been watching the news to gauge Cell's whereabouts.

"Reports are calling in from South City that the creature has been sited nearby," the reporter continued. Behind him were the ruins of another town and various discarded items of clothing.

"It's on the attack again," Kuririn muttered. "Damn it!"

Gohan leapt up. "What are we doing watching TV?" he demanded. "We should be helping people! We outnumber Cell, we can beat it!"

"You're right," Yamcha said. "I agree. We should go and find Cell!"

"It can sense chi," Piccolo rumbled. "It'll know you're coming."

Kuririn frowned. "That could be a problem," he said. "Why don't we go in the plane instead? If we're not usin' our chi to fly then Cell won't sense we're comin'."

"Good idea!"

Ten minutes later, the plane was ready. Yamcha, Tenshinhan and Piccolo filed on board, all looking grim. Gohan began to enter, but stopped and looked at his sister. Chiyo was standing beside Chi-Chi watching them. She was still in disgrace for showing up dirty and bruised at Kame House after an entire afternoon of frantic searching. They might need her for the fight with Cell, but there was little chance of getting Chi-Chi to let her come along. Chiyo knew this, yet she looked hesitant instead of angry. Chi-Chi was scowling, though.

"Don't give me that look," she snapped at Gohan. "I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no."

"Mom, we need Chiyo," Gohan began to say, but Chiyo shook her head.

"I'm gonna stay here," she said at Gohan's quizzical look. "The Androids might still show up, and Papa will need me if that happens."

"Come on," Yamcha called. "Hurry up."

Gohan hugged her. "Take care, okay?"

Chiyo looked surprised, but she grinned and tweaked his nose. "Watch out for its tail."

"Be careful!" Chi-Chi called, as the plane lifted off.

Gohan, I hope you'll be okay, Chiyo thought, watching it disappear over the horizon. And I hope I don't have to fight the Androids. The very thought made her sweat.

"Chiyo?"

Chiyo glanced at her mother, who looked concerned.

"Are you feeling alright?" Chi-Chi asked. "You're sweating."

"I'm okay, Mama."

Chi-Chi frowned and felt her daughter's forehead. "You're a little hot. Go and lie down for a while, alright? I don't want you to get sick."

Chiyo sighed, but went inside obediently. Even though Goku was looking much better, Chi-Chi was even more anxious than before, and she'd worked herself into a fury after what happened a few days ago. Chiyo knew it was best to just do what she said.

Goku was still asleep on the futon upstairs. His temperature had gone down the day before and now he slept like he normally did, albeit deeply.

Chiyo flopped down on the wooden floor beside him and let the electric fan cool her. It was much hotter here than on Mt Paozu. The altitude on the mountain made the air cool and sometimes thin. The island got sunlight most of the day and the heat made her sleepy.

Goku stirred and murmured in his sleep, disturbing the sheet that had been thrown over him. Chiyo tucked a wayward hand back under the sheet and curled up beside the futon. She was asleep in minutes.

~oOo~

CRASH!

Chiyo was unceremoniously awoken when an explosion tossed her onto the floor.

"Whassappening?!" she muttered, completely bewildered. The sheet enveloped her completely; she began to panic and fought against it, tearing the material to shreds.

She was still in the room at Kame House. The fan lay on its side, whirring noisily. The futon was lying at a strange angle, and it was also empty.

Where was Papa?

Chiyo pulled the remains of the blanket off and threw it on the futon. She was sure she had gone to sleep on the floor, so why was she still in bed?

The Androids!

She couldn't feel anything but her father, Chi-Chi and Muten Roshi elsewhere on the island - and the Androids had no chi at all. But why else would the house be shaking?

Pulling her clothes on in a hurry, Chiyo hopped down the stairs, trying to put on her shoes at the same time. She threw open the door so hard the hinges broke - but the shore was completely empty and silent. Confused, Chiyo took a few tentative steps outside, feeling her chest tighten in fear. Everyone was still alive, but had the Androids captured them? Were they waiting for her in ambush?

"Goku!"

Her mother's voice reached Chiyo's ears, carried on the wind. Chiyo tensed, but Chi-Chi's voice was calm, even happy.

She followed the voice around the side of Turtle House, gradually breaking into a jog. Three people were gathered on the shore. Two were Kamesen'nin and Chi-Chi. The other - Chiyo's eyes widened - was Goku.

"Papa!" Chiyo shouted joyfully, and ran to him. Goku's head turned toward her and, smiling, he knelt.

Chiyo barreled into him hard enough to knock him over. Her arms went around his neck and she buried her face in his shoulder.

"Papa! You're up!"

"Hey, easy!" Goku said, laughing. "You tryin' to knock me out?"

Chiyo leaned back and studied her father for a moment. For the past three days his face had been still and pale, the only colour that crept into his cheeks was a feverish flush. Now his cheeks had a healthy glow and his face was open and smiling. She could hardly believe he was better again, when he had been so sick a few days ago.

I thought he was going to die, Chiyo thought, and relief almost overwhelmed her. She tried to stop a sudden rush of tears by blinking until her eyes stung, but it didn't work.

"Hey, come on," Goku said in a low voice. "What's wrong?"

"Papa, don't ever go!"

Goku picked her up in the crook of his arm, one hand stroking her hair.

"It's okay," he said. "Don't cry, Chiyo. I'm not going anywhere."

"Not ever!"

"Nope. Not ever. I'll never leave you. It's okay. Everything's okay."

"Never, never, never!"

Goku said nothing, but his hold on her tightened.

Gradually Chiyo's sobs quietened to sniffles. She wiped her eyes and leaned against his shoulder, not caring if she looked like a baby. At least she still had a father to hug.

"So, you're all better now?" Kamesen'nin said.

Goku nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, frowning. "In my dreams I could hear everything that was going on. We're in trouble, aren't we? But...I'm not ready to fight just yet."

"Why not?!"

"Of course he's not!" Chi-Chi said anxiously. "You need to rest."

Goku smiled at her. "Hey, I'm okay. It's time for me to get back to my training, though. It's time for me to move up a level."

He put Chiyo down and moved closer to the water, staring out over the ocean.

"Vegeta knows it too," he said after a moment. "In my dreams I could hear him speaking what I thought - that there's another level beyond the Super Saiyan. And I'm going to reach it."

"Vegeta said something about tran-transcending the Super Saiyan," Chiyo piped up. "He and Trunks couldn't do anything against the Androids. So there must be some way to get stronger, right?"

"Right," Goku said, glancing at her. "Come on. I'll explain inside."


	26. Welcome Back

**Chapter 26 - Welcome Back**

May 15th, 767 A.D.

_Three days passed, in which Earth's special forces operated from Turtle House. Kuririn and Chiyo returned a few hours after the crisis in Ginger Town along with Piccolo, Tenshinhan, and new information - the monster who had come out of the time machine was called Cell, and it was an Android like Eighteen and Seventeen - only this time, Cell was programmed to absorb Gero's unruly Androids through its stinger-like tail, to become a perfect being. After Ginger Town Trunks had left separately to train with Vegeta, though the others doubted he would be successful._

_Because Cell had the ability to hide its chi it had escaped, and for three days had been terrorizing the people of Earth..._

"The creature continues its path of destruction, sparing no-one," said the reporter.

Yamcha, Kuririn, Gohan, Tenshinhan, Piccolo, Kamesen'nin, Chi-Chi and Chiyo were watching the news. Since Cell had escaped there had been numerous reports of towns being destroyed and people disappearing, sometimes entire suburbs. They had been watching the news to gauge Cell's whereabouts.

"Reports are calling in from South City that the creature has been sited nearby," the reporter continued. Behind him were the ruins of another town and various discarded items of clothing.

"Cell!" Piccolo growled, fists clenched.

"It's on the attack again," Kuririn muttered. "Damn it!"

Gohan leapt up. "What are we doing watching TV?" he demanded. "We should be helping people! We outnumber Cell, we can beat it!"

"You're right," Yamcha said. "I agree. We should go and find Cell!"

"It can sense chi," Piccolo rumbled. "It'll know you're coming."

Kuririn frowned. "That could be a problem," he said. "Why don't we go in the plane instead? If we're not usin' our chi to fly then Cell won't sense we're comin'."

"Good idea!"

Ten minutes later, the plane was ready. Yamcha, Tenshinhan and Piccolo filed on board, all looking grim. Gohan began to enter, but stopped and looked at his sister. Chiyo was standing beside Chi-Chi, watching them. She was still in disgrace for not only going to Ginger Town, but showing up dirty and bruised at Kame House in the afternoon. They might need her for the fight with Cell, but there was little chance of getting Chi-Chi to let her come along. Chiyo knew this, yet she looked hesitant instead of angry.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"I…I think I'll stick around here," Chiyo said in a low voice. "The Androids might still come, and I don't want to leave Papa. 'Sides," she added with a smile, "you can prob'ly beat Cell without me."

Gohan began to speak, stopped, then smiled. "Okay," he said. Then in an uncharacteristic show of affection, he hugged his sister. "Take care_, _Chiyo."

"Okay. Be safe, Gohan."

"Be careful!" Chi-Chi called, as the plane lifted off.

_Gohan, I hope you'll be okay_, Chiyo thought, watching it disappear over the horizon. _And I hope I don't have to fight the Androids_. The very thought made her sweat.

"Chiyo?"

Chiyo glanced at her mother, who looked concerned.

"Are you feeling alright?" Chi-Chi asked. "You're sweating."

"I'm okay, Mama."

Chi-Chi frowned and felt her daughter's forehead. "You're a little hot. Go and lie down for a while, alright? I don't want you to get sick."

Chiyo sighed, but went inside obediently. Even though her Papa was looking much better, Chi-Chi was even more anxious than before. Chiyo knew it was best to just do what she said.

Goku was still asleep on the futon upstairs, like he had been for three days. His temperature had gone down the day before and now he slept like he normally did, albeit deeply.

Chiyo flopped down on the wooden floor beside him and let the electric fan cool her. It was much hotter here than on Mt Paozu. The altitude on the mountain made the air cool and sometimes thin. The island got sunlight most of the day and the heat made her sleepy.

Goku stirred and murmured in his sleep, disturbing the blanket that had been thrown over him. Chiyo tucked a wayward hand back under the blanket and curled up beside the futon. She was asleep in minutes.

CRASH!

Chiyo was awoken roughly when an explosion tossed her onto the floor.

"Whassappening?" she muttered, completely bewildered. The blanket enveloped her completely; she began to panic and fought against it, tearing the material to shreds.

She was still in the room at Turtle House. The fan lay on its side, whirring noisily. The futon was lying at a strange angle, and it was also empty.

"Where's Papa?" Chiyo said out loud. She pulled the remains of the blanket off and threw it on the futon. She was sure she had gone to sleep on the floor - why was she in the bed, and her father not?

_The Androids!_

Chiyo couldn't feel anything but her father, Chi-Chi and Kamesen'nin elsewhere on the island - and the Androids had no chi at all. But why else would the house be shaking?

Chiyo leapt up and began to pull her clothes on in a hurry. She hopped down the stairs, trying to put on her shoes at the same time, and threw open the door so hard the hinges broke.

The beach in front of Turtle House was completely empty. Confused, Chiyo took a few tentative steps outside, feeling her chest tighten in fear. Had everyone been killed by the Androids? Were they waiting in ambush for her?

"Goku!"

Her mother's voice reached Chiyo's ears, carried on the wind. Chiyo tensed; but Chi-Chi's voice was calm, even happy. Could it be...?

Chiyo followed the voice around the side of Turtle House, gradually breaking into a jog. Three people were gathered on the shore. Two were Kamesen'nin and Chi-Chi. The other - Chiyo's eyes widened - was her Papa.

"Papa!" Chiyo shouted joyfully, and ran to him. Goku's head turned toward her and, smiling, he knelt.

"Whoa!"

Chiyo barreled into her father hard enough to knock him over. Her arms went around his neck and she buried her face in his shoulder.

"Hey, easy!" Goku said, laughing. "You tryin' to knock me out?"

"Papa! You're up!"

Chiyo leaned back and studied her father for a moment. For the past three days his face had been still and pale, the only colour that crept into his cheeks was a feverish flush. Now his cheeks had a healthy glow and his face was open and smiling. She could hardly believe he was better again, when he had been so sick a few days ago.

_I thought he was going to die_, Chiyo thought, and relief almost overwhelmed her. She tried to stop a sudden rush of tears by blinking until her eyes stung, but it didn't work.

"Hey, come on," Goku said in a low voice. "What's wrong?"

"Papa," she sobbed. "Don't ever leave me."

Goku picked her up in the crook of his arm, one hand stroking her hair.

"It's okay," he said. "Don't cry, Chiyo. I'm not going anywhere."

"Not ever!"

"Nope. Not ever. I'll never leave you. It's okay. Everything's okay."

"Never, never, never!"

Goku said nothing, but his hold on her tightened.

Gradually Chiyo's sobs quietened to sniffles. She wiped her eyes and leaned against his shoulder, not caring if she looked like a baby. At least she still had a father to hug.

"So, you're all better now?" Kamesen'nin said.

Goku turned around and gave him a lopsided grin. "Yeah, I'm fine." He frowned. "In my dreams I could hear everything that was going on. We're in trouble, aren't we?" At Kamesen'nin's grave nod, he looked down. "I'm not ready to fight just yet."

"Why not?"

"Of course he's not!" Chi-Chi snapped. "You need to rest."

Goku smiled at her. "Hey, I'm okay. It's time for me to get back to my training. It's time for me to move up a level."

Chiyo looked at her father in confusion, wondering what he meant.

Goku put her down and moved closer to the water. Gazing out over the ocean, he said quietly, "Vegeta knows it too. In his dreams I can hear him speaking what I thought - that there's another level beyond the Super Saiyan. And I'm going to reach it."

Chiyo followed Goku to the water's edge.

"Vegeta said something about tran…transcend the Super Saiyan," she said. "Cause Vegeta and Trunks are Super Saiyans and they couldn't do anythin' against the Androids."

Goku glanced down at her and smiled. "I'm proud of you, Chiyo," he said. "You've been brave these past few days."

Chiyo glowed at the praise. Taking her father's hand, they rejoined Chi-Chi and Kamesen'nin, who were looking bemused.

"I'll explain inside," Goku told them. "C'mon. I hafta get ready."


	27. The Room Of Spirit and Time

**Chapter 27 - The Room Of Spirit and Time**

"I'm going to get stronger than a Super Saiyan," Goku said, smiling.

_"What?"_

Kamesen'nin lurched forward in surprise, breaking off the doorknob he was leaning against. "Did you say stronger than a Super Saiyan? I don't think it can be done!"

"Super Saiyan's not enough anymore," Chiyo commented from her seat on the windowsill.

Goku bent to retrieve the doorknob. "I can do it," he said. "It's the only way to beat Cell, and I won't know if I don't try." He tossed the doorknob to Kamesen'nin. "A year. To know for sure, a year is what I need."

"That's a long time," Kamesen'nin muttered.

"Yeah, you're right. But we both know where it can be done in one day." Goku turned to his wife. "Hey Chi-Chi, I'd like to take Gohan and Chiyo with me, if that's okay."

Chi-Chi scowled. "That's a joke...right?"

Chiyo hopped off the windowsill and ran over. "But _Mama_ - "

"Go ahead. I can't stop you." Chi-Chi smiled. "You'd better make them both strong as they can get, okay?"

"Sure."

"And if I let them battle the Androids with you, then you have to let them study. I want you all to give it all you've got!"

Goku grinned. "Thanks_._"

"Goku," she sighed. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Chiyo tugged on her mother's dress. "Mama...are you sick?"

Chi-Chi stroked the dark hair back from her daughter's forehead and smiled.

"Well, goodbye," Goku said. He leaned forward to kiss her lips. "I'll miss you, Chi-Chi."

"I'll miss you too!"

Chi-Chi clasped Chiyo tightly. "Be good for your daddy and brother," she said.

"Yes, Mama."

Goku held out a hand. "Chiyo, take my hand."

"Okay."

Chiyo put her small hand in Goku's. He put two fingers to his forehead and suddenly, Turtle House vanished around them. Landscapes blurred before them, so fast it made her dizzy to look. Then suddenly, they were on the plane the others had taken a few hours ago.

"G-Goku!"

Kuririn and Gohan were the first to notice. Kuririn ran to them and hugged his best friend tightly, his head only coming up to Goku's chest.

"It's Dad!" Gohan said, his face breaking into a wide smile. The others - Piccolo, Yamcha and Tenshinhan - were looking over their shoulders curiously.

"I can't believe you're back!" Kuririn cried. "You look just fine!"

Goku laughed. "Well, I am a little hungry."

Tears formed in the fighter's eyes. "G-Goku...you really are back to normal...!"

"Well, a guy's gotta eat, right?"

Chiyo looked curiously at Gohan, surprised to find that her brother had tears in his eyes. She had never seen him cry before.

Goku seemed to notice too, for he glanced down and smiled at his son. "Hey...why so sad?" He reached out a hand and ruffled the boy's hair.

Gohan laughed. "I missed you, Dad!"

Goku brushed past Gohan and approached Piccolo. The Namekian was leaning against the wall, arms folded, looking grim as ever. There was a pause, then -

"Kamiccolo!"

The others burst out laughing. Piccolo glared at Goku.

"Listen!" he growled. "I've been through some changes, but I'm still called Piccolo. Don't forget that."

"Sure, no problem." Goku laughed.

"Well, what?"

"There's no way we can defeat Cell now," Goku continued, his smile fading. "I'm going to start training again, and I know a place where we can get a year of training in one day."

"Where?" Yamcha called.

"At Kami-sama's palace."

"So, you go to the Room Of Spirit and Time," Piccolo muttered. "I see. No-one has been able to stay there for very long."

"I'm taking Trunks and Vegeta as well," Goku said. "One of us can do it."

Piccolo nodded. "Then go quickly! Cell gets stronger every day, and we're running out of time. If he absorbs Seventeen and Eighteen then we're finished."

"Yeah." Goku held out his hand to Gohan. "Take my hand, son."

"Right."

"Chiyo, you too. Grab onto me."

Chiyo grabbed onto her father's leg. Then the plane vanished around them, and once again the world seemed to go by in one big blur. Then they landed on a ledge, behind the sitting figure of a young man with purple hair.

"G-Goku!" Trunks exclaimed, turning around.

"Hey." Goku waved. "How's the training going?"

Trunks's shoulders slumped. "Not well. Vegeta really doesn't want me to train with him. He reckons I'll get in the way, and every time I get near he tells me to go away. He's been standing there for three days, unmoving."

"That's weird. Maybe he's waiting for a sign, or something. I'll go talk to him."

Goku approached the still form of Vegeta, who was standing several feet away. The two seemed to be talking. Several minutes later he came back, this time with a scowling Vegeta in tow.

"Let's get going!" he said cheerfully. "Everyone grab onto me, and I'll take you all to Kami-sama's palace."

Chiyo once again grabbed onto her father's leg, sidestepping Vegeta, who had a hand on Goku's shoulder. Then the landscape vanished, and moments later they were at a place she had never been before. The area was round, paved with white tiles, and much larger than Turtle House. There was a large white palace in the centre.

"Where are we?" Chiyo asked.

"Kami-sama's palace," Goku replied. "It's the highest point on Earth. Kami-sama lives here - or he did, until he fused with Piccolo."

Chiyo glanced around curiously. As she did she saw a plump man emerge from the white palace and approach them. He had the darkest skin she had ever seen, and was dressed in funny clothes.

"Who's that?" she asked.

"Hmm? That's Mr. Popo."

"Goku," Mr. Popo said as he came closer. "Hello. What brings you here?"

Goku frowned. "Bad things happenin' on Earth," he replied. "You've seen - haven't you?"

"Yes. This creature Cell, he is a terrible monster."

"We can't beat him, not just with Super Saiyan. We need to use the Room Of Spirit and Time."

"I see." Mr. Popo's dark face was inscrutable for a second. "Then please follow me." He turned and began to walk into the palace. They followed him.

"You will find everything you need in the Room," Mr. Popo said as they walked. "Food, a bed and a bath. It's not very luxurious, I'm afraid."

Chiyo looked around her as she followed the others. The inside of the palace was open and airy, with the same white tiles and decorated columns from outside.

"I require nothing more than the essentials," Vegeta snapped. "This is not a vacation. This is work."

"Ignore him, Mr. Popo," Goku said airily. "He's cranky today. He wants to complete his training."

"Yes, so I can destroy you." Vegeta smirked. Chiyo glared at him over her shoulder.

"This is it," Mr. Popo said. He had stopped at the end of the corridor. A single engraved wooden door was set in the wall.

"So that's the Room Of Spirit and Time?" Gohan asked.

"Yes. Which group goes first?"

Goku gestured to Trunks and Vegeta. "You guys go first."

"Right this way." Mr. Popo grasped the golden handle and pulled. The door swung open, revealing a room lit with bright light within. "Once you cross the threshold you will spend a year in here, but only a day will have passed."

"Thanks a lot, Goku," Trunks said as he passed. He disappeared inside.

"Take care of Vegeta," Goku called. "Good luck."

Vegeta pushed past Gohan and followed Trunks. The door swung shut behind them.

"I hope they get along," Gohan commented.

Mr. Popo stepped away from the door, both hands clasped behind his back. "How many groups will be going in?" he asked.

Goku counted on his fingers. "There's Vegeta and Trunks. Then there's Gohan and me, and..." he glanced at Chiyo. "Damn it! I should have thought about that first."

"Remember that only two people at once are allowed in the Room," Mr. Popo said.

Chiyo squared her shoulders and tried to look brave, although she was sweating. "I'll go in myself," she said.

"No." Goku frowned. "It's very dangerous in th' Room. I'd go in, but I've already been in as a kid."

"Maybe I can go back with Chiyo," Gohan offered.

Goku shook his head. "Maybe Piccolo, if he doesn't find Cell, I'm guessin' this is th' first place he'll come."

"What do we do now?" Chiyo asked.

"We wait."


	28. It Begins

**Chapter 27 - It Begins**

May 16th, 767 A.D.

_Almost a whole day had passed since Vegeta and Trunks went into the Room Of Spirit and Time. During that time, unknownst to the waiting Saiyans, the Androids had finally arrived at Turtle House demanding to know where Son Goku was. But instead of Goku, the Androids found themselves faced with a newly powered up Piccolo..._

Chiyo chicked her legs restlessly. Hours of waiting at Kami-sama's palace with nothing to do had taken its toll. She had been amusing herself by timing how fast she could run around the entire area (thirty seconds had been her best time short of her momentum destroying the building) and pestering Mr. Popo with questions - that had lasted only until Gohan had given her a warning look so reminiscent of her mother that Chiyo had stopped immediately. Now she was trying her hardest not to fidget, unused to sitting around idly for hours at a time.

There was only five hours to go when Chiyo felt Piccolo's chi suddenly flare. She, Gohan and Goku jumped violently, startled by the sudden change.

"Time is running out!" Goku said grimly. "Piccolo's already started fighting."

"Who's he fighting, Dad?" Gohan asked. "Is it Cell?"

"No, there's no chi. It must be the Androids."

"What?" Gohan leapt to his feet. "I've got to help Piccolo!"

He began to run towards the exit, but Goku jumped to his feet and held out a hand.

"Come back, Gohan!" he called. "We have to complete our training. Piccolo'll have to hold 'em off on his own."

Gohan stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn around. Goku spoke more softly.

"It's no use goin' down there, you're not strong enough," he said. "As soon as we've finished our trainin', we'll go down and help him."

"That's right," Mr. Popo agreed. "You will be stronger than you've ever felt before."

Gohan turned and walked back towards them. His head was bent, eyes lowered. He sat down, crossed his legs and sighed.

"Piccolo'll be okay," Chiyo said, scooting over to sit next to her brother. "Don't worry, Gohan."

Gohan didn't reply.

Minutes crawled past in which Piccolo's chi signal dropped and flared, signs that he was fighting. His chi seemed to stay at the same level - at least he was holding his own against his opponent, who was surely an Android.

"Dad," Gohan said, after a while. "Can he win?"

Goku shook his head. "I don't think so," he replied. "But if he can hold on, he might win."

Gohan nodded mutely. Minutes later he stood up and began to pace back and forth, lost in thought.

"Mr. Popo, can I ask you a question?" Chiyo said tentatively. She hoped she hadn't asked too many questions already; he had been patient enough when answering all her other questions, but she wasn't sure if there was a limit to that patience.

"Yes, of course," Mr. Popo said, turning his dark head toward her. "What do you wish to ask me?"

Chiyo fidgeted for a moment, unsure how to ask. "The Dragon Balls were created by Kami-sama, right?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"And Kami-sama is fused with Mr. Piccolo now, so what happened to the Dragon Balls?"

"The Dragon Balls turned to stone, as there is no Kami-sama for the Earth," Mr. Popo replied.

Chiyo nodded. "Well...what if there was a new Kami-sama, would that make the Dragon Balls go right again?"

A strange look crossed over Mr. Popo's face. "Perhaps," he said.

Chiyo began to reply, but suddenly felt an unfamiliar chi flare. The chi was a strange mixture, comprised of faint signals from Piccolo, Freeza, King Kold and Goku.

"That's Cell, isn't it?" Gohan said. "It's heading for Piccolo, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," Goku replied. His hands, resting on his knees, clenched into fists. "Gohan, I know how you feel. I'd rather it be me instead of Piccolo down there."

Chiyo sat down and tried her hardest not to fidget.

_Come on, Piccolo_, she thought, closing her eyes. _Don't die._

"Cell is there!"

At Gohan's shout, Chiyo opened her eyes. He was right - she could feel the strange mix of chi signals that was Cell, close to Piccolo - _too_ close. If she closed her eyes she could almost imagine it - like a giant cockroach, with a deadly stinger tail.

Cell's chi flared and began to rise, and Chiyo felt sick with sudden fear. It had gotten stronger in the past three days; now it was far above Piccolo's level. She wondered how many people had been absorbed to add to its chi.

Kuririn's chi rose briefly, and Gohan, Chiyo and Goku started.

"You don't think he's gone to fight too, Dad?" Gohan said, his face pale.

Goku shook his head. "No, I don't think so. But Tenshinhan..." another familiar chi flared as he trailed off. "Tenshinhan has gone to help Piccolo."

"Not Tenshinhan!" Chiyo cried, leaping to her feet. She had helped Tenshinhan, Piccolo and Kuririn find Dr Gero's lab three days before, and had taken to the fighter. "He'll be killed!"

"Don't even think 'bout it," Goku warned his daughter. "You can't do anything."

"I'm not doin' anything," Chiyo retorted, sitting down. "I wish there was something I _could_ do."

"I know, Chiyo. So do I."

Cell's chi began to flare at intervals, making Chiyo jump each time she sensed it. _I wish I was down there helping Piccolo and Tenshinhan_, she thought, hunching her shoulders. _I should be._

Minutes passed. Piccolo and Cell's chi was both dropping and rising rapidly; they were obviously fighting. Chiyo could pick up flashes of them trading blows if she relaxed her mind - but at a time like this, it was almost impossible to relax.

Piccolo's chi suddenly dropped, and Chiyo jerked her head up. His chi began to drop until suddenly, it faded away to nothing.

"Piccolo's chi is gone!" Goku said through clenched teeth. "We couldn't help him in time."

"No," Gohan said. His legs gave way and he fell to his knees. "PICCOLO!"

Chiyo squeezed her eyes shut, surprised at the tears that were seeping from beneath her eyelids. Though Piccolo hadn't been exactly nice to her, he was brave and a good fighter. And he was Gohan's friend, which made her brother's grief hurt her even more.

"Vegeta," Goku muttered. "Aren't you done yet?"

Gohan leapt to his feet. "NO!" he shouted, startling Goku, Chiyo and Mr. Popo. "I won't stand around here doing nothing! You can stay if you want. I'm going to help."

"No, Gohan!" Chiyo shouted, throwing herself in front of him. "Don't go! You have to listen to Papa and stay here! We don't want you to die!"

"Get out of my way, Chiyo!" Gohan snapped.

Chiyo had never disobeyed her brother before, but fear for his safety made her stubborn.

"No," she said. "I won't let you go."

The fist came out of nowhere. Chiyo fell with a cry, unaware for a moment that Gohan had struck her. He jumped over her and continued to make for the exit.

Chiyo was unable to stop herself from weeping quietly. Gohan had never hit her before except in training. What was worse, she had failed to stop him from leaving.

Suddenly there was a great thud as a body hit the ground. Gohan had been knocked down by his father, who was much faster and less gentle than Chiyo.

"Gohan!" Mr. Popo said, kneeling to help the boy into a sitting position. "It's alright."

"Dad..." Gohan said, rubbing his head.

"You would have been killed, son," Goku said. His back was turned to his son, his posture stiff and tense.

"_So?_ Isn't it better than sitting around here? Piccolo would never turn his back on you like this!"

Mr. Popo patted Gohan's arm. "Gohan, your father is hurting too."

"Really?"

"Yes. Just as much as you and I."

Gohan leaned forward, fists clenched. "Then why don't we attack? Isn't that better than wasting our time sitting around here and letting Cell get away with this?"

"Your father isn't letting Cell get away with anything," Mr. Popo replied gravely. "He wants to do what's best. Piccolo doesn't want you to die for him, he wants to you train. Fight Cell when it is to your advantage." He gestured to Goku, who was still standing with his back to them. "Look at him. It's harder for him to do this than you."

Chiyo watched through blurry eyes as Gohan approached his father. A few moments later he came over to her. Hurriedly she tried to wipe her wet face on her shirt, though her red eyes and trembling lip gave her away.

"Chiyo?" Gohan knelt. "I'm sorry I hit you." He gave her a hug. "Don't cry."

"I-I'm afraid, G-Gohan," Chiyo whispered.

"Me too."


	29. Tenshinhan

**Chapter 29 - Tenshinhan**

Piccolo's chi was gone.

Chiyo and Gohan sat side by side, fists clenched on their laps, faces lowered. It had been almost twenty-four hours since Vegeta and Trunks had entered the Room of Spirit and Time, but it seemed like an eternity. The hours dragged on as the four people waited: Goku, Gohan, Mr. Popo and Chiyo.

Cell's chi suddenly dropped, and they all tensed in sudden surprise.

"Cell's chi just took a nosedive," Goku muttered out loud. "That's weird."

Gohan stood up. "Dad, do you think it's losing?"

His father shook his head. "I dunno. I hope whoever is fighting it can last a bit longer."

Chiyo stood up too, and began to pace up and down restlessly. Cell's chi had indeed dropped a lot, but she couldn't feel anyone else except Tenshinhan, whose chi was steady.

"Papa," she said suddenly. "D'you think an Android is fightin' Cell?"

Goku glanced up. "I guess they could, yeah. But I doubt they'd have the strength now."

"Well, what about Sixteen?"

"D'you mean that big Android that was with the others?" Gohan asked. "I don't know if he'd have enough strength to fight Cell."

Chiyo shrugged. "No-one else can fight Cell now."

All of a sudden, Cell's chi flared and began to climb.

"Damn it!" Goku shouted, leaping to his feet. "Cell's absorbed one of the Androids!"

Chiyo and Gohan exclaimed out loud. They, too, had felt it. Cell's chi was now twice the size it had been. One of the Androids had clearly been absorbed.

Minutes passed and Cell's chi continued to go up. At last it stopped, and Chiyo's stomach clenched in fear; its chi was higher than hers, Gohan's and Goku's put together. And no-one was left to fight it...except Tenshinhan.

Chiyo knew what would happen even before Tenshinhan's chi flared. She thought she heard him cry, "_Kikouhou!_" and felt the searing heat of his chi blast, Cell's cry echoing.

"Tenshinhan, stop!" Goku shouted. "Don't use the _Kikouhou_ anymore!"

"What is _Kikouhou?_" Chiyo asked her brother.

"It's a chi attack that uses your life energy," Gohan explained. "If Tenshinhan uses too many he'll die!"

"No!" Chiyo gasped. She turned and began to run for the exit.

"Chiyo!"

Within seconds Goku had appeared in front of his daughter, blocking her exit.

"I don't want to knock you down too," he said tersely, "but I can't let you go."

"Then _you_ go!" Chiyo shouted, crying now. "You already let Mr. Piccolo die; you can't let Tenshinhan die too!" She seized his arms and shook him. "You have Insta - Insta-tan-ee-us Movement, you can get to him in time, you have to..."

"How long can Tenshinhan keep fighting?" Gohan asked.

"Not for much longer," Mr. Popo replied gravely. "The next blast will kill him."

"No!" Goku said. "I won't let that happen. All we need is some more time."

The small girl shook her father again, sobbing hysterically. "_We don't - have - more - time!"_

Tenshinhan's chi flared once again, and then began to drop. Chiyo could almost see his limp body falling from the sky.

Goku suddenly vanished. Chiyo pitched forward, caught unawares, and fell to her knees.

"He's gone to help Tenshinhan!" Gohan said, helping her up. "I hope he can get there in time."

Goku returned several minutes later, his chi appearing out the front of the palace with two other faint chi. Gohan and Chiyo raced as fast as they could outside, skidding on the tiles. Their father had returned with the limp bodies of both Tenshinhan and Piccolo.

"Piccolo is still alive," Goku said, "and so is Tenshinhan. They need senzu seeds, so I'm going to get them."

He vanished again, and it was an agonizing five-minute wait until he returned. He did return, and with a bag of senzu seeds, which they administered to the unconscious fighters. Within minutes they were standing up, completely healed. The senzu seeds had saved the lives of Earth's special forces many times before, and today was no exception.

"You look like you feel a lot better," Gohan said, smiling.

"I do." Tenshinhan examined himself, now free of injury. "I thought I was dead."

"Next time don't do everything by yourself, okay?" Goku said.

Piccolo nodded. "Cell's power is unnatural. Frankly, I don't believe we can beat it. At least not at this level. We will need something more." He scowled. "I may have to enter the Room Of Spirit and Time myself."

Goku gave Chiyo a gentle push towards Piccolo. "Well, if you do, can you take Chiyo with you? She's the odd one out and I don't want her going in by herself."

Chiyo glanced up at her father, who smiled reassuringly at her. She wasn't sure that being in a closed room with Piccolo for an entire year was such a good idea.

The Namekian glanced down at the small girl, who quailed under his stare.

"Very well," he said. "I will take her. We need all the help we can get."

Mr. Popo came walking out of the palace.

"Goku!" he said. "Vegeta and Trunks are coming out of the Room."

The group followed Mr. Popo back into the palace, to the wooden door to the Room Of Spirit and Time. Slowly, the handle turned and the door swung open...

"Trunks?"

The young man who appeared out of the Room Of Spirit and Time was almost unrecognizable as Trunks. His clothes were torn and his hair was longer. The look on his face seemed different too; a certain hardness in his eyes gave away the fact that something had changed in the Room.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Trunks said quietly. "Did we miss anything?"

Goku nodded. "Yeah. Things have gotten worse."

"You were in the Room for a whole day," Mr. Popo said. "I've never known anyone who could do that."

"We could have come out sooner," Trunks admitted, "Dad broke the Super Saiyan barrier in the first two months. But he still wasn't satisfied with his power, and kept going…"

"Trunks!" Vegeta interrupted, appearing behind Trunks. "That's enough."

His clothes were torn but he seemed unchanged.

"So it worked, Vegeta?" Goku asked.

"Who knows?" Vegeta replied, smirking. "It would be pointless for you to train inside. Because I'm going to destroy Cell and the Androids."

"You fool!" Tenshinhan exploded, but Piccolo held up a hand for silence.

"You don't know what you're up against," he growled. "Cell absorbed Seventeen. It's become a monster."

Vegeta began to laugh. "Clearly, trying to kill Cell is too hard for you. That's why I offered to take care of it myself."

Goku frowned. "Vegeta, you should listen to Piccolo and Tenshinhan. You won't stand a chance against Cell."

But Vegeta simply laughed again. Chiyo glanced curiously at him. He had changed somehow...though she had come to learn that Vegeta's ego often made him overestimate his enemies, there was something different about him - a kind of quiet confidence that made her believe that maybe this time he was telling the truth.

"Hello! Is everyone there?"

A woman's voice floated from outside. A familiar voice.

"It's Bulma!" Gohan said.

The group went outside. Bulma was putting a plane back into its capsule with one hand, the other holding baby Trunks.

"Bulma, what are you doing here?" Goku said, puzzled.

"I brought some things for you!"

Gohan ran up to the baby and shook his hand. "Hello there!" he said. Chiyo followed, both children fussing over the baby while Bulma watched, smiling. Suddenly her eyes widened.

"Trunks?" she said, and brushed past Gohan. Mirai Trunks looked slightly startled as his mother tugged on his hair and inspected him closely.

"Why is your hair all different?" she asked. "Is it a wig? And you've gotten taller!"

"There's an odd room here where you can spend an entire year in the span of one outside day," Trunks said. "Dad and I were training in there."

"Really?" Bulma glanced over at his shoulder at Vegeta, who didn't look happy to see her at all. "But Vegeta's hair didn't grow out any."

"Pure-blooded Saiyans have thankfully been spared the grotesquery of hair growth," he answered tersely.

"I guess that's why you or Son have never needed a haircut," Bulma said, puzzled.

"Why are we talking about hair?" Vegeta snapped. "Bulma, why did you come here?"

"Hold on, I'll show you." Bulma pulled a hoi poi capsule out of the container she held. "Those battle suits I made before that boost your defences. I made one for everybody and brought them over."

Bulma tossed the capsule on the ground and it exploded, revealing a large plastic container. She opened it and began to pull out neatly folded dark blue suits, followed by several yellow and white plates of armour that looked rather like vests.

Chiyo stripped off and pulled hers on. Bulma had made hers to her size and body type, but the material was stretchy and fitted her perfectly. The gloves and boots were white and the armour plate took some effort to pull over her head, but it fit her chest easily.

"I wore armour like this on Planet Namek," Gohan said. "So it's familiar."

"So these are Saiyan suits?" Trunks asked.

"More or less," Bulma replied. "I tried to copy Vegeta's suit as much as possible." She glanced at Piccolo and Tenshinhan, who were standing off to one side. "You're not going to use them?"

"How can Piccolo wear the same costumes as Saiyans and Freeza's men? " Piccolo growled.

Goku shrugged. "They're just clothes. And they're really easy to move in."

Vegeta smirked. "As I said before Kakarrot, you'll only be wasting that suit. You won't be seeing any action!"

"Because you'll defeat Cell, right?" Goku said. "Well, I wouldn't complain."

"Right."

Goku smiled. "D'you want me t'take you there?"

"Feh." Vegeta turned his back on the group. "I don't need your help."

He rose into the air and dived over the side of Kami-sama's lookout. Within minutes his chi was far away.

"Always the attitude," Bulma said, sighing.

Trunks shrugged. "I'd better get going."

"Take these senzu seeds," Goku said, piling two of the seeds into his hand. "Good luck, but don't press your luck. Bail out if it gets too dangerous."

"I will," Trunks said. "Thanks for everything. Good luck in your training."

"Neither of you better die!" Bulma said. "Got that?"

Trunks left, and Goku turned to Gohan. "It's time for us to train!"

"Yeah!"


	30. Vegeta's Confidence

**Chapter 30 - Vegeta's Confidence**

"This is _wonderful!_"

Goku and Gohan hadn't gone into the Room Of Spirit and Time right away. Instead, Goku had decided he just _had_ to eat before going in. So he was devouring his way through a meal big enough for ten people while Gohan was still on his first bowl.

Chiyo was starving, but her human blood had given her an appetite only half as big as her father's. She was only on her third bowl, wolfing down the food like it was her last meal.

"This is great!" Goku said through a mouthful of rice. He put down the bowl on a teetering stack and stood up. "Thanks for the food, Mr. Popo! Let's get going, Gohan."

"Right."

Goku, Gohan and Chiyo went outside, where Bulma was encouraging baby Trunks to climb one of the decorative columns.

"Hey, so you're going through with this, right?" she said, glancing up as they appeared. She followed them back into the palace until they were standing before the wooden door again.

"It's your turn," Mr. Popo said, opening the door. "I hope you're ready."

"Gohan!" Chiyo said, running to her brother. "Become really strong, okay? Train your hardest."

Gohan nodded and ruffled her hair. "Hey, I'll be fine."

"Good luck!" she called, waving, as Goku and Gohan went inside the Room. The door swung shut.

"You think they'll be okay?" Bulma said.

"I hope so."

They went back outside, where Piccolo and Tenshinhan were standing with their arms folded, frowning.

"Cell has started blasting islands," Piccolo said as they appeared. "It's destroying people to find Eighteen."

Chiyo nodded sadly. She had felt the tiny chi of hundreds of people disappear a few minutes earlier, but she knew there was nothing that could be done, especially with the Dragon Balls gone. Cell could kill many thousands of people and they would be gone forever.

"Do you think Vegeta can handle Cell by himself?" Bulma asked.

Piccolo scowled. "I have no idea how powerful Trunks and Vegeta have become, but they've got to try and stop it," he said. "If Cell absorbs Eighteen then there's no hope for the Earth. If Cell wins, we lose. Simple."

"They need our help," Tenshinhan said angrily. "We don't have time to wait for Gohan and Goku!"

"Tenshinhan, you don't have the strength to kill Cell!" Bulma snapped. "All you have to do is wait one more day. Then when Gohan and Goku come out you can crush Cell!"

Baby Trunks began to wail, and Bulma's voice quietened instantly. "There, there," she crooned. "Don't cry. Everything is going to be okay."

"Bulma is right," Chiyo said after Trunks had stopped crying. "I know my Papa and brother can kill Cell. An' who knows how Vegeta will do?"

Tenshinhan sighed. "Yeah," he said. "I don't know how you guys managed to wait a whole day. I can't even wait an hour."

Chiyo looked down. "It was hard," she said softly. "But there was nothin' that coulda been done."

"Do you sense Vegeta's chi?"

Another hour had gone by since Goku and Gohan had entered the Room of Spirit and Time. Vegeta and Trunks had been flying towards a series of islands in the south, but their chi had stopped - and Vegeta's had begun to climb.

"It's growing," Piccolo added. "And now we wait."

"No, I can't wait," Tenshinhan said, clenching a fist. "Vegeta can't beat Cell alone!"

Piccolo walked to the edge of the round plateau. "Let him try." His cape and hat suddenly appeared on his body. "He's determined to prove himself to us."

Chiyo looked up, startled. She had been playing with baby Trunks, creating tiny balls of chi for him to bat at. Now she stopped, ignoring Trunks's babbling, and looked up. Vegeta's chi had continued to climb, even higher than Cell's.

"The training did work after all," Piccolo said. "Vegeta is transforming."

Chiyo gave the baby to Bulma and joined Piccolo and Tenshinhan on the edge of the plateau. She looked down into the sky below, wondering what they were looking at, and suddenly a picture formed in her mind, as clearly as if she were standing there. Vegeta, transformed into a Super Saiyan, surrounded by golden light. He was bulkier than he had been, as that as what happened when one went Super Saiyan. However, his chi was through the roof.

"What's going on?" Bulma said. "It's Vegeta and Trunks, right? Something's happened."

"Vegeta is raising his chi," Chiyo explained, when Piccolo and Tenshinhan did not answer. "He might be more powerful than Cell."

In her mind's eye, Chiyo saw a blur as Vegeta moved. The next moment his fist was buried in Cell's solar plexus.

As Piccolo, Tenshinhan and Chiyo watched in their thoughts, Vegeta began to fight Cell. He seemed to have the complete advantage over the monster; Cell hadn't got a punch in edgewise in the entire fight.

"Hey, what's happening?"

Bulma's voice cut through Chiyo's concentration. She glanced over her shoulder.

"Tell me how Trunks and Vegeta are doing!" Bulma demanded.

"Vegeta's got Cell on the run," Ten replied. "He might be able to win!"

"Well, that's great, but how 'bout the details?"

"Cell is getting the beating of its life," the fighter explained. Piccolo was silent.

"Hey, your daddy is beating Cell!" Bulma told Trunks, smiling as the baby began to giggle. "Yes, you're going to be just like him! So what's wrong with Piccolo?" Trunks began to cry. "Oh, there there."

Piccolo hunched over, fists clenched, his look black.

"VEGETA!" he roared.

"Kuririn is there!"

Chiyo cried out loud as the picture in her mind changed. She saw Kuririn floating above the island Vegeta, Trunks and Cell were on. "And he's got somethin' funny in his hand..."

"That must be my emergency shutdown controller," Bulma explained. "I made a device to shut down the Androids so Kuririn could destroy them and prevent Cell from absorbing Eighteen."

Chiyo closed her eyes. Before her pictures flashed in a dizzying array; Cell being kicked viciously by Vegeta, Kuririn landing on the island, and Eighteen and Sixteen crouching nearby.

"The Androids are on the island," she said, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Why are they still there? They should be escaping!"

"All the better," Piccolo rumbled. "Kuririn can take care of the Androids now instead of spending extra time trying to find them."

"Let's hope he does it in time," Tenshinhan said. "Or we're history."


	31. From Bad To Worse

**Chapter 31 - From Bad To Worse**

May 17th, 767 A.D.

_Only three more hours passed, but things went from bad to worse. Although Vegeta was certainly strong enough to defeat Cell, he let the monster go to absorb the Android Eighteen and become a challenge for him - which Cell did gladly, although in its perfect form it greatly outmatched Vegeta. The Saiyan was defeated, and while Trunks stepped in with a new form beyond his father's, he too was defeated due to weaknesses in the form._

_However, instead of killing Trunks, Cell proposed something entirely different: a game. A martial arts competition much like the Tenkaichi Budoukai, in which it would be the only opponent and others would fight it. It promised to make a broadcast on TV…_

"My name is Cell."

Cell's face, filled the TV screen. Chiyo leaned forward from her position and turned the TV up.

"Cell is on!" she shouted.

Immediately Piccolo, Tenshinhan and Mr. Popo came running. They were the only ones at Kami-sama's palace; Goku and Gohan had not yet finished in the Room Of Spirit and Time.

"I'm sure you've all heard of the monster who slaughtered some people a few days ago," Cell continued. "That was me! Only I've advanced and grown more powerful since. Thank you for providing me with so much life energy. Don't worry…I won't be needing any more."

"Turn it up," Tenshinhan instructed. Chiyo turned the volume up a bit higher.

"So, as for this wonderful news…nine days from now, on the 17th at noon…I'm starting a martial arts tournament, the 'Cell Game'! I've prepared a ring northwest of Central City, at point five of region twenty-eight KS.

"Unlike your _Tenka'ichi Budokai_, you humans will only fight me. You can have as many on your side as you want. You will fight me one by one, with the next taking over once the first has lost." Cell smirked. "Thus the greater number of competitors you have, the bigger your advantage. Even I might get tired after many rounds. The rules are mostly the same as the Tenka'ichi Budokai. You lose if you surrender or if a part of your body touches the ground outside the ring. You'll also lose if you get killed…though I'll try to go easy. And in the end, when I'm the victor.."

Cell stared menacingly at the camera. "I will kill every single human being on this planet. I'll come methodically after every last one of you, and I'll watch your faces twist with fear. I welcome any and all who think they've got what it takes to beat me!"

It raised a hand and with a single blast destroyed the back wall of the TV studio. "If you don't want to turn out like this - you'd better find someone who can fight." He jumped out of the hole in the building and disappeared.

"Why is it doing this?" Chiyo exploded, jumping to her feet. "What's the point?"

"Cell wants to terrorize the people of Earth," Tenshinhan replied. "It wants to see them lose hope as it kills every fighter who could defend them. It's what every creature like it wants."

"Why do monsters like it come here, anyway?" Chiyo asked.

"For the Dragon Balls, mostly," Piccolo said grimly. "Magical stones that can grant almost any wish appeals to the greedy."

"So why did Kami-sama make them in the first place?" she inquired. "Isn't it better for people to manage by themselves?"

Piccolo smiled; the first smile she had ever seen on his face. "They are useful," he said.

The familiar chi of Trunks and Vegeta were approaching; Chiyo had felt them for the last ten minutes, but had assumed they were flying from West City to train. However, moments later the two Saiyans appeared over the edge of the lookout. Trunks was still wearing his Saiyan armour, but his hair had been cut.

"What are you doing here?" Piccolo said, without turning around.

"We've come to train some more," Trunks explained. "We're going to need all the strength we can get for the Cell Game." He sat down on the steps outside Kami-sama's palace. "How much longer until Goku and Gohan come out?"

"Still there are nearly three hours to go," Mr. Popo replied.

Vegeta scowled. "Ha. If they come out on time. This will take them longer than twenty four hours."

"There's no need to rush. We have nine days until the tournament," Piccolo said. "It hasn't even been a day since you two were in there. You should rest some more…Chiyo and I will go first."

"Don't waste our time! No-one but a Saiyan can do any good now."

"I'm half Saiyan," Chiyo said, "and I'm going in with Piccolo."

Vegeta smirked at her. "If it will amuse you, do it. I'll take the other eight days for myself."

Now it was Piccolo's turn to grin. "Always the arrogant fool, aren't you Vegeta? No-one can spend more than forty-eight hours in the Room of Spirit and Time - total. Lifelong."

"Oh? And what if I choose to?"

Mr. Popo turned to Vegeta. "Then the exit disappears - and you stay in there forever."

"But we can still spend over twenty hours," Trunks said.

Two familiar chi suddenly appeared. Chiyo, Trunks, Tenshinhan, Piccolo and Vegeta started in unison.

"That's Goku and Gohan's chi!" Tenshinhan said. "They must be coming out now."

"What?" Vegeta snapped. "Why so soon?"

Goku and Gohan appeared at the entrance to Kami-sama's palace. Both were still wearing the Saiyan armour they had been given the day before, though it was battered and cracked, the suit fabric torn and dirty. Goku was transformed as a Super Saiyan, as was Gohan.

Chiyo stared at her brother, unable to believe her eyes. He was at least a foot taller; his hair was cut short and it was blonde. He was a Super Saiyan, like Goku.

Something had changed. Gohan was not the same person he had been only a day ago. At first Chiyo had wanted to run to her brother and exclaim over how he had changed. Now she hung back, watching silently as the two Saiyans joined them outside the palace. She was suddenly unsure if she wanted to go into the Room Of Spirit and Time. Would she come out as a completely different person?

"Tell us what happened," Goku said.

Quickly Trunks began to explain what had happened in the past day. Goku and Gohan listened silently, their frowns deepening as they heard how Cell had achieved its perfect form and announced a martial arts competition in nine days' time.

"A tournament, huh?" Goku said. "Sounds exciting!"

Piccolo scowled. "Exciting?"

Goku just smiled. "Mr. Popo, do you still have my gi?"

"Mm. Popo kept it."

Goku stripped off his wrecked suit and began to pull on his old clothes while the others waited.

"I'm sure my Mom will make you a new set of armour," Trunks offered.

"That's okay, I like this one. I want to fight as an Earthling."

Meanwhile, Gohan was examining the new clothes Piccolo had made him. He glanced up and noticed Chiyo staring at him almost shyly. He smiled at her. It was the same lopsided grin he always had, and she relaxed immediately.

"Well?" Vegeta said impatiently. "Can you beat Cell now?"

Goku turned to him. "I don't know," he said. "I haven't seen its perfect form yet. I'll go and see it for myself." He put two fingers to his forehead and vanished.

Minutes later he returned, looking serious.

"What do you think about it?" Trunks asked.

Goku smiled slightly. "I can't believe it's that strong," he said. "Judgin' from its chi, s'hard t' guess its exact strength. Even though I don't think I can beat Cell."

"What?" Trunks blurted. "A-are you sure?"

"You've still got time to go back into the Room Of Spirit and Time," Piccolo said. "After you, I'll go...then Vegeta and Trunks. Then you can go in again!"

"It's okay." Goku smiled at the Namekian. "Gohan and I will train here. There's still nine days left."

"What?" Piccolo clenched his fists. "You said that you don't need to go in?"

"That's right!"

"But why?" Piccolo growled. "You can still go in for another full day!"

Goku smiled. "If I don't do anything in th' room, my body'll get weaker," he explained. "S'better t' rest now."

"Is the pain too much for you to handle?" Vegeta sneered.

"Right now, building up my strength isn't the solution. You can still go in if you want."

Vegeta scowled. "Are you trying to imply that you're stronger than me?"

"Yeah, I am."

At Vegeta's black look, Goku laughed. "See you all at the competition." He turned to Chiyo and beckoned. "C'mere."

Chiyo obeyed, unsure what he wanted. Was she to go home with them too?

But her father didn't gesture for her to follow. He knelt before her and clasped her shoulders.

"Good luck in th' Room," he said quietly. "I want you to listen t' everythin' Piccolo tells you - and train hard. Become a Super Saiyan if you can."

"I don't know if I can do that," Chiyo said earnestly. "But I'll try."

"Good. That's what I wanted to hear." Goku stood up and ruffled her hair affectionately. "We're going to get Mom and take her home. So come home when you've finished your trainin'." He glanced at Gohan. "Let's go."

"Okay. Good luck, Chiyo!"

Goku and Gohan left.

"Hey," Tenshinhan said suddenly. "Are Goku and Gohan even Super Saiyan now? I can't be sure."

"They're definitely Super Saiyan," Piccolo replied, "but it looks like they've trained to stay Super Saiyan in everyday life."

"When they fight, can they get stronger?" Trunks asked.

"Idiot." Vegeta scowled at his son. "Think about it. This is the best way! If he gets used to this form, when he increases his chi his body weight won't be heavy."

Suddenly, the group felt a chi explode from seemingly out of nowhere. Seconds later, a gale of wind nearly threw them off their feet.

"Where did that chi from?" Trunks cried.

"It's Son!" Piccolo roared, throwing up a hand to protect his face.

Chiyo gasped. "It - are you sure?" The chi was incredible; if it didn't feel familiar she would never have guessed it belonged to her father. "D'you think Cell is stronger?"

Piccolo looked down. "I...don't know."

"Piccolo!" Vegeta snapped. "If you're going to use the damn room then hurry up! There's others waiting to use it!"

Piccolo looked down at Chiyo. "It's our turn," he said. "You'd better be ready."

Chiyo nodded mutely.

Mr. Popo led them down the paved path to the Room Of Spirit and Time. He opened the door for them. "Good luck."

Chiyo and Piccolo stepped inside and the door closed behind them. They found themselves in a small room. Two beds and a bathroom were on one side. A kitchen was on the other side. The far end of the room opened up into what she presumed was outside, filtering light into the room. The air was hot and thick; she felt like she was breathing soup.

Piccolo brushed past her and walked outside. Chiyo followed. To her surprise and horror, the "outside" of the Room Of Spirit and Time was an endless plain, stretching out over a blank horizon.

"The dimension is supposedly as large as the Earth," Piccolo said. "Don't go out by yourself or you'll get lost. The temperature fluctuates from very cold to very hot, and you could die."

"Right."

The Namekian turned around. "Listen up, because I'm only going to say this once," he barked, and Chiyo straightened her shoulders automatically. "I am not your father. I'm not going to be soft on you. While you are under my tutelage I expect you to work hard. Understand?"

"Yes, Piccolo."

"Good." Piccolo turned and stepped off the ledge onto the white surface. Chiyo followed, but as she took a step on the ground she fell to her knees, feeling like a great weight was pressing on her.

"W-what's happening?" she gasped, struggling to her feet. Her legs shook with the effort of merely standing; it felt like she had weights strapped to her back.

"The gravity is ten times that of Earth's," Piccolo said without turning around. "It will feel heavy at first, but you'll get used to it. From now on, every waking moment we will train. I'm not going to go easy on you because you're a child. I need a training partner, not a weakling who will slow me down. So while we're here you will listen to my instructions at all times. Got it?"

"Yes_,_ Piccolo," Chiyo said obediently. "Do I call you _sensei?_"

"You can address me as Piccolo," the Namekian replied with a hint of impatience in his bass tone. "Now let's train."


	32. The Waiting Game

**Chapter 31 - The Waiting Game**

_May 18th, 767 A.D._

For the first time in three days, Kami-sama's palace was completely silent. Trunks and Vegeta were the only ones left besides Mr. Popo; Tenshinhan had left and Piccolo and Chiyo were still in the Room Of Spirit and Time.

"Only half an hour to go," Trunks muttered. "Soon they'll come out."

"Damn it!" Vegeta exploded. "If they don't finish soon I'm going to go in and drag them out!"

It was at that moment that Mr. Popo appeared.

"Piccolo and Chiyo are finished in the Room Of Spirit and Time," he reported.

Vegeta pushed past Mr. Popo and strode down the paved pathway. The door to the Room swung open and Piccolo walked out. His clothes were dirty and torn, indicating his hard training in the Room. He regarded Vegeta with little interest.

_The Namekian's chi has grown greatly_, Vegeta thought, looking him up and down with a sneer. _Still no match for Cell...or for me._

Vegeta sensed another chi as Piccolo left the Room. The Saiyan's eyes narrowed as a small figure appeared. It was Chiyo. Her armour was battered and cracked; her clothing in rags.

_Is that...the girl?_ Vegeta thought, glaring at her. He was met with a cool gaze. Something had changed her inside the Room. She was different - she was hiding something. Was she a Super Saiyan?

_Heh, impossible,_ Vegeta thought, laughing to himself. _She's only a brat._

Chiyo watched as Vegeta went into the Room and shut the door behind him. Then she followed Piccolo outside.

"Ch-Chiyo?" Trunks spluttered, as she appeared. "Is that you?"

She nodded. "It's me." She gestured over her shoulder. "Vegeta has just gone into the Room Of Spirit and Time. Are you training there after him?"

Trunks nodded. "I want to get as much time in as possible."

"Okay. Mr. Popo, do you still have my clothes?"

Mr. Popo brought Chiyo her old clothes and she stripped off the Saiyan armour, which fell to pieces in her hands. It had been well used – she was surprised it hadn't fallen apart earlier. She began to dress in her old clothes, although they felt considerably tighter and shorter – she must have grown at least an inch, and not just her body; her tail had grown back, too.

"That feels better," she said, grinning at Trunks. "I don't know how Vegeta can wear that suit all the time and not get hot."

"So, how did the training go?" Trunks asked. "Have you gained enough strength to beat Cell?"

Chiyo hesitated and glanced at Piccolo, who shook his head.

"No," she said. "I didn't either."

Trunks sat back, looking disappointed.

"Well," he said. "You can always go back in the Room Of Spirit and Time."

"I think I'll go home," Chiyo replied. "I haven't seen my family for a year."

Mr. Popo smiled. "Remember, only one day has passed in this dimension."

"It feels like a year, though."

"Yo!"

Startled, Chiyo and Mr. Popo turned around as a familiar chi suddenly appeared. Goku was strolling casually towards them. He was dressed in jeans and a jacket instead of his usual clothes, and to Chiyo he looked strange – she rarely saw him out of his fighting clothes.

"Son!" Piccolo said. "What are you doing here?"

"I have to ask you somethin'," the Saiyan replied. "You went into th' Room Of Spirit an' Time, didn't you? You've gotten a lot more powerful."

"But I don't stand a chance against Cell."

Goku laughed. "No, you don't."

Chiyo took a few steps forward, smiling shyly. Her father's gaze turned to her and his smile widened.

"Look at you!" he said, and moved toward her.

"Well?" Piccolo interrupted. "Do you have something to ask me?"

Goku turned back to the Namekian. "Can you an' Kami-sama split again, like before you rejoined?"

"Why do you ask?"

"When you an' Kami-sama fused, th' Dragon Balls ceased to exist," Goku explained. "I want to bring them back so we can resurrect all th' people killed by Cell. We'll probably need them later on, too."

Piccolo shook his head. "That would be impossible. Once we rejoined, it became impossible for us to split again. Even so, Kami-sama and Piccolo would be more comfortable as one being."

Goku sighed. "Too bad, but I guess you're right." He smiled. "I had another idea, though. Gohan told me th' survivin' Namekians went t' a new planet. I'll try an' contact them - maybe one will come t' live on Earth an' be a new Kami-sama."

"That would be wonderful!" Mr. Popo said, joining the group.

Chiyo glanced back and forth at her father and Piccolo, completely lost. She vaguely remembered the Namekians that stayed at Capsule Corp three years ago, but she had never wondered where they had gone after their brief stay.

"What are you talking about?" Piccolo snapped. "You don't even know what planet the Namekians went to. It'll take too long."

Goku shook his head. "Have you forgotten 'bout my Instantaneous Movement? All I have to do is look for a chi like yours."

"Can you find chi that far away?"

"Well, I won't know if I don't try." Goku put two fingers to his forehead. "Please be quiet."

The others fell silent and stared at Goku as he stood still. He seemed to be concentrating hard, though Chiyo had no idea what he was trying to do.

After a minute, Goku lowered his fingers.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I couldn't find it."

Trunks, Piccolo, Mr. Popo and Chiyo stared at him.

"Wait!" Goku said suddenly. "I may be able t' find 'em if I go t' North Kaiou's world." He vanished.

"_Kaiou?_" Chiyo repeated, puzzled. "Doesn't that mean 'lord of worlds?'"

"North Kaiou is the guardian of the north sector of the galaxy, where Earth is," Mr. Popo explained. "Goku trained with him years ago, when Vegeta first came to Earth."

"Oh…"

Ten minutes later, Goku appeared, but this time he wasn't alone. With him was a small figure who resembled Piccolo. He looked vaguely familiar.

"Dende?" Piccolo said, gaping at the Namekian boy.

"Piccolo!" the boy said, his face breaking into a wide smile.

_Dende_, Chiyo thought. _Why does that sound familiar?_

The Namekian boy's wide eyes focused on her. He smiled.

"Gohan?"

Chiyo scrambled to her feet. "I'm not Gohan, I'm Chiyo!" she said crossly. It wasn't the first time she had been mistaken for a boy, especially with her clothes and wild hair, and it never failed to annoy her.

"I'm sorry," Dende replied hastily. "I remember you. You are Gohan's younger sibling, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I'm his sister."

"Could you wait here for a second?" Goku interrupted, addressing Dende. "I'm going t' get Kuririn an' Gohan."

"Yes."

"Wait, let me come!" Chiyo said, running to him. "I want to get more clothes."

Her father seized her hand and Kami-sama's palace vanished. Within seconds they were on the beach outside Turtle House.

"Why are we here?" Chiyo asked.

"To get Kuririn, silly. Wait here."

Goku went inside and, moments later, returned with Kuririn in tow. Turtle House blurred and fell away, to be replaced moments later with the Son house.

"Hurry up," Goku told his daughter. "I'll find Gohan."

Chiyo dashed inside. She felt strange being home - she'd been away for only six days, but it felt like it had been a year. Of course, in the Room Of Spirit and Time it really had been a whole year.

The small girl kicked off her shoes onto the messy pile next to the door and raced past the kitchen, where her mother was at her usual place over the stove.

"Chiyo?" she heard Chi-Chi call, but she didn't stop. She raced into her bedroom and tore off her fighting uniform, seized a long sleeved shirt and white pants from her chest of drawers, and ran back into the kitchen.

"Mama!"

Chi-Chi turned around, accidentally splattering her apron with sauce, and her eyes widened. "Chiyo! Where did you come from? Weren't you training?"

"I finished training now!" Chiyo chirped happily. "I'm bigger, see?" She began to pull on her clothes.

Chi-Chi raised an eyebrow. "At least you didn't dye your hair like Gohan did! I would have hit the roof!"

"Dye my hair?" Chiyo repeated, puzzled.

Oh - she means Super Saiyan! She realized seconds later, and began to giggle.

"I don't see what's so funny about Gohan becoming a punk!" Chi-Chi snapped, throwing her ladle back in to the bubbling pot on the stove. "All I can say is you'd better not do anything to _your_ hair, young lady!"

"I won't, Mama!"

"_Chiyo!"_

Chiyo started as Goku's voice rang out from the yard.

"Gotta go!" she said. "Love you Mama! See you later!"

"Where are you going?" Chi-Chi said, but Chiyo was already out the door and pulling on her shoes, which she hastily snatched from the pile near the door. Kuririn, Goku and Gohan were waiting for her outside.

Then they were back at Kami-sama's palace, and Kuririn and Gohan were exclaiming in delight.

"It really is Dende!" Kuririn said. "It's been a long time! Can you believe this is Gohan?"

"Are you really going to become Kami-sama?" Gohan asked.

While they peppered Dende with questions, Trunks asked, "Goku, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Is your confidence caused by a weakness you found in Cell?"

"No," the Saiyan answered. "I don't think it has a weakness."

Chiyo stared at her father, her stomach clenching. If Cell had no weakness, then how were they going to beat it_?_


	33. A New Kamisama

**Chapter 33 – A New Kami-sama**

"Dende, can you really make Dragon Balls?" Piccolo asked.

Kuririn, Gohan, Trunks, Goku, Chiyo, Piccolo and Mr. Popo were gathered around Dende, the Namekian boy who was to become the new Kami-sama.

"I was told he could!" Goku said, grinning at the boy. "The elder on Planet Namek said he was really good."

Dende inclined his head and smiled shyly. "I think I can make some Dragon Balls in one hundred days."

"One hundred days?" Goku and Piccolo exclaimed in unison.

"Yes." Dende nodded, misinterpreting the reason for their dismay. "But if I had the stones that were Earth's Dragon Balls, then I could make some right away."

"Great!" Kuririn said. "Can you make them so we get three wishes like with Planet Namek's Dragon Balls?"

"And if you do," Piccolo said, "will we be able to resurrect a lot of people with one wish? For example, bring back all the people killed by Cell?"

"I should be able to make them like that," Dende said. "But if I did, we would only get two wishes at a time."

"That would be fine. Please make them."

"Yes." Dende addressed Mr. Popo. "Do you have the model?"

Mr. Popo returned moments later with the figurine of a dragon encased in a glass dome. Chiyo drew closer to look at it. It was strange, but the figure seemed to radiate power - even though it was just a dragon carved out of stone.

Dende stood over the dome, hands spread. A light began to glow from the dome, and suddenly leapt into the sky with a rush of wind that almost bowled the group over. Seven lights, looking much like chi blasts, shot from the dome and fell back to Earth.

"That should have reactivated the Dragon Balls," Dende said.

"Great!" Goku replied, grinning. "I'll borrow the Dragon Radar from Bulma and go find the Dragon Balls."

"Can I come?" Chiyo asked, tugging on his hand.

He looked down at her. "Sure, but it won't be much fun. D'you still wanna come?"

"Yes! I want to see a Dragon Ball."

"Okay." Goku addressed his son. "Gohan, you've done enough training. You can spend the time until the Cell Game up here with Dende."

"Huh?" Gohan said, staring at his father. "Bu...but..."

"It'll be okay. Don't worry about it." Goku waved. "See you!"

He took Chiyo's hand, put two fingers to his forehead and vanished.

Capsule Corporation was a large, round building painted in bright colours. The building was home to one of the world's richest corporations and also the home of the Briefs family.

Goku and Chiyo appeared in the backyard in front of a very startled Mrs. Briefs, who was lounging on a lawn chair reading a magazine.

"Oh my!" Mrs. Briefs exclaimed, sitting up. The magazine slipped off her lap and onto the floor.

"Good day!" Goku said cheerfully, raising a hand in greeting. "Is Bulma around?"

"Y-yes, she's in the lab with Dr. Briefs," Mrs. Briefs said, blinking at him like a startled owl.

"Thank you!"

Goku began to stride towards the house. Chiyo bowed politely to the surprised woman. She hadn't seen Mrs. Briefs in three years, but she still looked the same as she always had.

"It's nice to see you, ma'am," Chiyo said shyly.

"Oh my!" Mrs. Briefs said, and her expression switched to her usual smile. "Well I never! who's this big girl? I wouldn't have recognised you if you didn't come with your daddy!"

Chiyo fidgeted in embarrassment, even though she knew Mrs. Briefs was teasing her.

"Come inside, dear!" Mrs. Briefs said, standing up. "I'm sure Bulma would love to see you. You can have a big piece of the chocolate cake I picked up this afternoon."

The thought of cake, especially chocolate cake, tempted Chiyo sorely. It was only when she heard Goku's voice calling her name that she remembered - they had a job to do.

"I can't today," she said, bowing again. "I'm very sorry, Mrs. Briefs. I have to go."

She dashed into the building, following her father's voice into a large room cluttered with all sorts of expensive-looking equipment. It looked similar to Dr Gero's laboratory.

"Hello, Chiyo," Bulma called. She was bent over a prone figure on the table, working with a machine that looked somewhat like a toothbrush on a cord. Sparks flew as Bulma lowered the machine. Nearby was Dr. Briefs, peering over a large piece of paper. Baby Trunks lay nearby in a basket, asleep.

Chiyo stood on her tiptoes and peered over the table. With a sudden shock, she realised the figure was Sixteen, the Android who had been with Seventeen and Eighteen. Half of his head was destroyed, but instead of flesh and blood beneath there was only a bunch of shattered metal and wires that looked like the cables at the back of the TV - the ones her mother had said never to touch.

"What happened to him?" she asked.

"Kuririn said Cell injured him," Bulma replied. "And the big guy himself asked me to fix him. So I'm just fixing the general damage around his head. Why, do you know him?"

"His name is Sixteen," Chiyo said. "He was with the Androids when they beat us up...Kuririn, Piccolo, Tenshinhan, Trunks, Vegeta and me. But he didn't fight."

"I wonder why that is," Goku murmured, staring at the giant Android.

Chiyo shrugged. "I saw birds coming right to his hand. If he was like the others, they wouldn't do that. Animals can sense evil, y'know."

"Hmm," Bulma said, giving her a puzzled look.

The small girl felt a hand on her shoulder. She glanced up and saw her father grinning at her.

"Ready to go?" he said.

"Okay."

"Then let's find these Dragon Balls."

Nine days passed. It didn't take Goku and Chiyo that long to find the Dragon Balls, of course - within two days all seven had been found and brought to Kami-sama's palace. Shortly after the two departed back home, leaving Gohan still at the palace spending time with Kuririn and Dende.

Chiyo sneezed as she shook out the rug. It was almost noon, and they were due to leave for the Cell Games soon. She had wanted to get up at dawn and cram six more hours of training in before they went to the Cell Game, but Goku had forbidden it.

"We don't need to train anymore," he had said. "I want you to have a good time before the Cell Game."

Chiyo wasn't entirely sure that her father was in his right mind. According to him, Cell was stronger - but he didn't want them to train at all now. It made no sense.

So for the last few hours Chiyo had been helping her mother clean the house. She had been too nervous and shaky to sleep past dawn, and what else was there to do? Her homework was done as promised, she wasn't allowed to train, and Chi Chi forbade her to leave the area - she had been increasingly clingy as the days to the Cell Game passed by.

"Don't shake the rug so much, Chiyo!" Chi-Chi scolded, looking up from her dusting. "You'll just make yourself sneeze some more!"

"I'm trying," Chiyo choked in between sneezes, her eyes watering.

The door to the living room opened, and Goku strode in. He was dressed in his usual fighting uniform, confident and smiling.

"Ready to go?" he asked Chiyo.

The small girl nodded. Suddenly, she wished she really _did_ have a whole day of house cleaning ahead of her. But now there was only the Cell Game...and death.

She suddenly felt sick.

"Be careful!" Chi-Chi said, following them out the front door. "Don't die, okay?"

"Okay."

"And don't let Gohan and Chiyo fight!"

"Mama!" Chiyo immediately exclaimed, though part of her was agreeing wholeheartedly.

"Eh?" Goku turned around, raising his eyebrows in sudden surprise.

"Don't let them fight!" Chi-Chi repeated, clasping her hands. "Promise me!"

"Uh..."

Suddenly, Chiyo's hand was seized, and the Son house vanished around them. Seconds later, they were at Kami-sama's palace.

The whole group was waiting for them: Trunks, Gohan, Dende, Kuririn, Piccolo and Mr. Popo.

"There he is!" Kuririn said, turning around to greet his friend.

"Hey!" Goku replied quickly. "Where's Vegeta?"

"He already left," Piccolo said.

"Huh? He must be excited." Goku grinned. "I'm sure he's gotten stronger. But why does everybody look so sad?"

Kuririn sighed. "It looks bad," he said. "Dende made th' Dragon Balls so they could bring a lotta people with one wish, but they can only bring you back once."

_Bring them back?_ Chiyo wondered, staring at him. _What does he mean?_

"I'm sorry," Dende said.

Goku laughed. "No problem!" he said. "All we have to do is not die."

"Not...not die?" Kuririn spluttered. "We're fightin' _Cell!_"

"Don't worry about it. Let's go."

Completely bewildered, the group followed Goku as he leapt off Kami-sama's palace. There was no need to find out directions - Cell's chi could be felt even from far away.

Chiyo forced herself to fly faster to keep up with everyone. She had a terrible feeling about what would happen during the Cell Game.

If only she had known…


	34. The Cell Game

**Chapter 34 - The Cell Game**

"_Pale Death with impartial tread beats at the poor man's cottage door, and at the palaces of kings."_

- Horace, _Odes_

Chiyo was afraid.

It had been building slowly over the past twenty minutes, from a vague squirm of despair in her stomach to a sensation that felt like her nerves were silently screaming.

She had never really felt this kind of terror before. There had been a few close calls in her life, but each time her father or brother (or both) had been there to help her. She was used to depending on Goku for a solution; they all were. So what would they do when even the world's strongest had no ideas left?

They were coming up to the place now, and Chiyo could see the arena - a large, square platform decorated with four tapered columns at each corner. There seemed to be three figures standing on the arena and two around it. The two nearby were Vegeta and Sixteen, of that she was certain. Two in the ring seemed to be regular humans. And the other...

...was Cell.

Chiyo stared at she landed with the rest of the group. Cell was different to the brief image she had seen at Kami-sama's lookout, ten days earlier. It vaguely resembled its previous form with the dark, spotted skin and size, but its humanoid face and piercing violet eyes held something that, strangely, entranced her.

Cell turned towards the group as they approached the arena: Goku, Gohan, Chiyo, Kuririn, Piccolo, Trunks, Yamcha and Tenshinhan.

"Welcome to the Cell Game," it said. Its voice was deep, smooth and held a faint inflection of irony. Chiyo stared at it, half fearful, half fascinated.

Sixteen strode around the arena and approached them. He looked good as new; his head was fixed and Bulma had even bolted a Capsule Corp logo to the chest of his green outfit.

"I wanted to thank you, Kuririn," the Android said in his deep voice. "Because of you, I have been repaired."

"Th-that's fine," Kuririn replied, smiling nervously.

Goku walked up to the Android and held out his hand. "Let's all do our best."

Sixteen looked down at Goku, who was at least three feet shorter than him. His smile faded.

"I was made to destroy you," he said. "Do not forget that, Son Goku."

Goku's hand dropped and he looked confused.

"Isn't he kind of gloomy?" he asked Kuririn in a loud whisper.

Chiyo took a few tentative steps towards Sixteen and leaned back so she could look at his face.

"You're so tall!" she said in awe. "You're all fixed, right? Bulma did a good job!"

The Android looked down at the small girl. He smiled again.

"Yes. I am thankful."

"I'm glad too," Chiyo said sunnily, deciding that she liked the Android. "You weren't bad like Seventeen and Eighteen. I knew. The birds wouldn't have come to you if you were."

While Chiyo chattered to Sixteen, Goku cracked his knuckles.

"Well then," he said. "Should we start th' fight with me?" He turned to Vegeta, who was standing a few feet away. "Is that okay?"

"Hmph. Do whatever you want." The Saiyan did not look at Goku. "I'm going to end this no matter who fights first."

"Hey!"

Chiyo peered around Sixteen's leg to see who had shouted. It was one of the men who were standing in the arena nearby. He was wearing a white cape and underneath, a red fighting _gi_.

_Is he fighting Cell too?_ Chiyo wondered.

It would appear so. The man continued, "You can't determine the order without me!"

The second man, one who was much shorter and skinnier, turned to Goku. "Are you planning on entering the Cell Game?"

"Yeah. Not all of us, though."

"Stop this stupid joke!" the man snapped. "This isn't a game - you don't know what's going on here!"

"I think they're th' ones who're clueless," Kuririn muttered.

"Is that big man as strong as Cell?" Chiyo asked him.

Kuririn laughed. "Him? Even _I_ could beat him."

The cape-wearing man gestured elaborately. "I thought even the most ignorant hick had heard of me, the Martial Arts Champion Of the World. Mr Satan!"

"He's the champion of the world!" echoed the shorter man, adjusting his glasses. "He's a genius! He's the strongest man on Earth!"

"Is he stronger than Papa?" Chiyo asked Gohan.

Kuririn groaned. "Goku, just let him go first. Okay?"

"Okay. I guess."

Cell glanced at the group, and again Chiyo found herself strangely drawn by the sharp eyes.

"Whoever wants to be first can be first," it said. "But let him come out now."

"I'll be the first," the man called Mr. Satan said. "Naturally." He began to fumble with the strings of his cape.

"It's going to kill you," Goku said loudly, his face now deadly serious. "Back out now. That would be the best thing to do."

Mr. Satan and the other man looked at him.

Looked at each other.

Laughed.

"Camera man, focus on the idiot," the man said, gesturing to another person standing nearby. This man was wearing a backwards cap and held a large machine in his hands.

"Okay."

The cameraman turned and pointed the machine at Goku. The other man held up a microphone and began to speak into it. He was obviously a TV reporter.

"It's as though he could hear all the voices in the world rooting for Mr. Satan," he said. "Did you hear what this man said to Mr. Satan? He said, 'He's going to kill you. Back out now, that would be the best thing to do.'" He scowled. "Are you an idiot or something? You're the one who should back out! This is how ignorant bumpkins mess everything up. Even though I've explained it so many times, it seems they still don't understand who Mr. Satan is!"

Chiyo didn't understand most of what the man was talking about, but she wasn't stupid. She knew they were insulting her father, and she knew nobody else was saying anything, except staring at the man in bewilderment.

_Boys!_

"My father is not an idiot!" she called, cupping her hands around her mouth so they could hear us. "And we're not ignorant bumpkins. Your mother should have taught you some manners!"

Mr Satan and the reporter looked at her in surprise, as if they hadn't even noticed she existed - though as she was quite a bit shorter than everyone else, it happened a lot with adults.

The reporter gestured to the cameraman again and he moved closer, focusing the camera on Chiyo.

"It's a little girl," he said into the microphone. "What are you doing here, little girl? Don't you know this is a dangerous place?"

"I'm here to fight!" the small girl declared, puffing out her chest like she had seen Vegeta doing - even though the sight of the camera made her want to run squealing. The reporter looked startled for a moment before speaking into his microphone.

"What's this? A kid like you can't fight Cell! What kind of parents are yours, to let a child come out here?"

"Chiyo..." Kuririn said, but the small girl pretended not to hear him. The rest of the group were still staring at the reporter in surprise.

"My mother is at home," Chiyo replied haughtily, "and that's my father you just called an idiot! What manners you have, talking to other people like that! I'd like to know how your mother taught you _et-ee-ket!_ Shame on you!"

The reporter gaped at Chiyo, at a loss for words. Never in his career had he been lectured on manners by a six year old.

"I..b-bu...wha - " he spluttered.

Earth's special forces joined the reporter, cameraman and Mr. Satan in staring at the small girl.

"She...sounds like Mother," Gohan said, blinking in confusion.

Chi-Chi stared at the TV screen, clutching a handkerchief to her mouth.

"My Chiyo," she gasped. "She looks so - so small and helpless - "

Gyumao sat behind her, his height allowing him to see the TV even over the topknot of dark hair on her head.

" - manners you have, talking to other people like that!" Chiyo snapped at the reporter, standing arms akimbo. The TV screen showed both her and the report, who looked rather alarmed.

"_What on Earth is she saying?_" Chi-Chi screamed. "When did I ever teach her to speak to people like that?"

Gyumao began to laugh.

"Look, it doesn't matter," Kuririn said, ignoring the reporter. "Even though th' guy'll get killed, we can revive him with th' Dragon Balls."

"Well..." Goku shrugged. "What else can we do?"

He raised a hand to Mr. Satan, and the reporter began to speak into his microphone again. He edged away from Chiyo, who was still glaring at him.

"It looks like the man finally understands!" he declared. "It makes sense. I don't know if he understands that he just saved his own life. And now - the combat will begin!"

Mr. Satan undid the strings holding his cape on and whipped it off. He then unfastened the golden belt from around his waist and held it up.

"Well, the moment has arrived!" the reporter yelled into his microphone, leaping off the arena. "This combat will decide humanity's fate. Mr. Satan, our World Champion, has been waiting impatiently for this moment as he said before the battle begins!"

The reporter's voice faded as he backed up with the cameraman, but at such close proximity Chiyo could see what was happening anyway. Mr. Satan took a _hoi poi_ capsule from his belt and tossed it on the ground. When the puff of smoke cleared there was a bag.

Mr. Satan bent down and began to take out several rectangular things that Chiyo couldn't recognise.

"Oh no," Kuririn said, slapping his forehead.

"Kuririn?" Chiyo tugged on his sleeve. "What are those things?"

"They look like..like roof tiles," Yamcha said, puzzled. "What th' hell is he doin' with them?"

Mr. Satan had finished piling the roof tiles in a stack. Chiyo counted five and ten - she could only count up to ten, but of course she didn't say so.

Mr. Satan straightened up and began to mumble.

"Ohmmmmmmmmmmm..."

_What on Earth is he doing?_ Chiyo wondered. Then she felt the subtle change in his very small chi before he lunged.

"HA!"

Mr. Satan brought his hand down in a chopping motion. The roof tiles broke in half under his attack. One, two, three, four - all the way to fourteen (or four and ten, as Chiyo counted).

"Cool," she said, her eyes lighting up.

"It's not _that_ cool," Kuririn muttered.

"CELL!" roared Mr. Satan. "See how I've destroyed these roof tiles? In one minute - that's what you're gonna look like!"

_I wonder how Mr. Satan would be if I fought him,_ the small girl thought.

"I'm honestly very excited!" the reporter shouted into the microphone, one fist pumping the air.

Mr. Satan crouched into a fighting stance, and at once Chiyo knew she would win in a fight between them. Mr. Satan's guard was poor - for a human fighter who didn't know chi he might win, but to a child who had been trained in chi control from a young age, she could spot several openings. Even without those openings she would most likely beat him anyway.

Once again Chiyo noticed the shift in chi seconds before Mr. Satan attacked. He rushed at Cell and kicked him directly in the face.

"In one second, Mr. Satan has used an excellent technique!" the reporter cried. "His Dynamite Kick has destroyed Cell!"

_Dynamite Kick?_

Chiyo began to giggle at the silly name. She clapped her hands over her mouth as the others looked at her, but Kuririn began to snigger as well.

"Mr. Satan doesn't let up with a flurry of punches!" the reporter continued, and in the arena the sounds of a fist hitting flesh could be heard. "Cell keeps taking punishment! It doesn't have time to defend itself!"

Chiyo was now positive that Mr. Satan was a poor fighter. He shouted too much while attacking, putting energy into unnecessary attacks and flashy moves. One of the first things she had been taught by her father (and reinforced by Piccolo) was to conserve as much energy as possible during a fight - and she would need all the energy she could spare for this day.

Piccolo's training. Chiyo's mind flashed back to the year she had spent in the Room Of Spirit and Time. In the ten days since, it had almost felt like a far-off memory - or a scattered dream. Her father and brother's gentleness had been a sharp contrast to Piccolo's harsh instruction -

_Heat and pain. _

_That was all she felt._

_Blinding white._

_That was all she saw. _

_"Get up!"_

_She did not want to face him again. She wanted to rest. She wanted to sink down on the ground and give up. She wanted to turn, and run out of the room, and into the arms of someone who cared._

_"I said get up!"_

_Chiyo felt a long-fingered hand pull her up by the collar and set her on her feet._

_"We continue," Piccolo said._

_Then he charged._

_She blocked his attacks automatically, so used to it after six months of conditioning. Piccolo would attack her at any time without warning. While she was stretching, while she was eating - even while she was asleep in bed._

_"When you are facing an enemy," the Namekian had said, "they will not take pity on you because you are not ready to fight."_

_Chiyo struggled for breath as Piccolo's attacks increased in speed and ferocity. Her skin felt hot and slick inside her Saiyan combat suit, and her movements sluggish. The air was thick and created an oppressive atmosphere that hindered her movement further._

_Suddenly Piccolo lunged, catching Chiyo with an uppercut to the jaw. The small girl's head snapped back and she bit her tongue in reflex, causing blood to spray from her mouth._

_"FIGHT!" the Namekian roared, and kicked the small girl ferociously. _

_Chiyo crashed to the ground on her stomach -_

The sound of a hard blow brought Chiyo back to reality. She saw a tiny figure sail over the horizon and smack into a mountain.

Cell had knocked Mr. Satan out of the ring.

"Eh, he's still alive," Piccolo muttered. "Cell didn't think he was worth killing."

Silence fell around the arena. Then Cell spoke.

"Come on, let's begin the Cell Game now. Who will be first? Will it be you, Son Goku?"

Goku climbed into the arena, a confident smile lighting his features.

"Yes," he said.

The Cell Game had begun.


	35. The Deciding Round

**Chapter 35 - The Deciding Round**

Goku stepped into the Cell Game arena. His shoulders were back, his head high, a confident smile on his face.

"It starts at last," Gohan murmured.

Cell unfolded its arms and clenched its fists.

"So it will start with you," it said. "I was hoping to keep the most fun for last."

Chiyo watched silently as her father relaxed into a fighting stance. She heard the reporter talking into the microphone in the background.

"Come," Cell said.

And Goku charged.

Cell's elbow flew upwards and blocked the Saiyan's kick, then caught the punch that followed. The fighters began to trade blows while the others looked on - the reporter and Mr. Satan in awe, Goku's friends silently.

Their eyes darted to and fro and then upwards as Goku kicked Cell into the sky.

"Ka - me - " Goku shot upwards, cupping his hands around the growing ball of chi. "Ha - me - HA!"

The chi blast blazed toward Cell.

_What is Papa doing?_ Chiyo wondered. _That blast isn't even at a third of his full power!_

As expected, Cell easily knocked the blast away. Then Goku's chi shifted and moments later he appeared behind the Android and dealt it a punch to the spine. Cell retaliated with an uppercut to the Saiyan's jaw, then kicked him viciously to the ground.

_Oh no!_ Chiyo screamed silently, too stunned to speak. But her father landed on his hands and knees in the arena. He stood up, and Cell landed.

"That should be enough warming up exercise, shouldn't it?" it said.

"Now the real fighting starts," Kuririn said.

"Wa-wasn't that unknown fighter fighting great?" the reporter said from across the arena. "What do you think, Mr. Satan?"

"Huh?" Mr. Satan was too busy staring at the fighters in the ring. "Oh! Ha! He's a bit better than I thought he was! But he's pushing it. I bet he's tired."

_What are you thinking, Papa? _Chiyo thought, searching Goku's face. The same smile he had for ten days was still there, but the look in his eyes had changed.

"Ready?" he said.

Then he screamed.

A fierce wind whipped up the dust and blew the onlookers' hair back. Fuelled by the Saiyan's chi, it roared across the rocky ground and blasted the reporter, the cameraman and Mr. Satan away from the arena. The others crouched with their hands shielding their faces against the small rocks that were flung up by the wind.

Goku stood in the midst of the wind, a golden aura surrounding him.

"Incredible!" Trunks said. "Goku has no peer..."

"Check it out!" Kuririn said enthusiastically. "He had his chi hidden that well! Hey Gohan?"

Gohan said nothing. Chiyo glanced at her brother and saw he was staring at Goku thoughtfully.

_Gohan doesn't seem so surprised_, she thought.

"HA!"

Suddenly the wind whipped up again; although this time it was Cell's chi that caused it. Mr. Satan, the reporter and cameraman tumbled head over heels backwards, and even Chiyo had to fight to keep her balance. Terrified, she took a few steps backwards and almost bumped into Kuririn.

When the dust cleared Cell was surrounded by a white aura. Goku walked up to him slowly.

"Well?"

"Come," Cell said again.

In an instant, Goku's fist was buried in the Android's solar plexus. As Cell bent over double it was dealt another blow to the neck and kicked upwards. Goku dealt it another brutal punch, sending Cell flying out of the arena.

But metres from the ground he stopped himself, and Chiyo could see it hardly looked damaged at all.

_Is he really that strong?_ she wondered. _That even Papa's blows won't hurt him?_

"Well done, Son Goku," Cell said. "A fight is no good unless you are pushed to your limits!"

"I agree."

Cell landed back in the arena. Then to Chiyo's amazement, it crouched into a very familiar stance.

"Ka - me - "

"H-how can he know the _Kamehameha?_" she gasped out loud.

"STOP!" Goku shouted. "If you fire a _Kamehameha_ when you're that strong you'll destroy th' Earth!"

"Ha - me - "

The arena was drenched in blue light. Chiyo felt herself begin to shake. _This is it..._

"HA!"

Goku leapt into the air. "I'm up here!"

Cell released the _Kamehameha_ directly at the Saiyan. The onlookers were almost blinded by the light emanating from its body, and it didn't help that the chi blast barely missed them.

The tiny figure that was Goku continued to climb. Then all of a sudden he disappeared, and his chi shifted closer. Cell barely had time to react before the Saiyan kicked it from behind, sending it flying.

"What?" it said. "I thought the _Kamehameha_ hit you...and you've disappeared and re-appeared in the past, too."

"It's called Instantaneous Movement," Goku replied.

"I see."

"There's something I want to ask," Goku continued. "If I hadn't jumped into th' air, would you have destroyed the Earth?"

Cell smiled. "I don't know. But I knew you had no choice but to jump into the air."

"I understand." Goku smirked. "You're smart, too."

"But I will tell you this." Cell wiped the blood off its face. "It wouldn't bother me in the least to destroy the Earth. It would only mean that some of the fun had gone out of my life."

Then ithe crouched into a fighting stance.

Chiyo didn't even see it coming. Goku fell backwards, and she saw a brief flash of Cell as he disappeared out of sight. Then the fighters were moving too fast for her to follow, and she found herself growing increasingly frustrated.

"I have pretty good speed," Cell said, appearing behind Goku - who had fallen to the ground. "But it's not as good as Instantaneous Movement."

Again Goku and Cell disappeared from view, and only by sensing their chi could Chiyo detect their movements. She saw some of the others were having as much trouble seeing them as she was, but Gohan seemed to be following them alright - if she watched what he was doing she could more-or-less see the fight.

Suddenly Gohan looked up, and Chiyo did too - Cell and Goku had appeared high above the arena. They seemed to be talking.

Then as the fighters watched, Cell held out its palm towards the ring - towards _them_. And they heard a faint voice.

" - away from the ring!"

Cell fired.


	36. Kamehameha

**Chapter 36 - Kamehameha**

Cell fired.

Chiyo turned and fled as the ring exploded. Dust and shrapnel flew everywhere; she was pelted with rock fragments and covered in dust in her escape.

Nearby was a rocky cliff on which the rest of the fighters had gathered. Chiyo sat down near Kuririn and Gohan and caught her breath for a moment, grateful to be alive.

Where the ring had been was now nothing but a black pit. For a moment Chiyo thought the other humans had been killed, but the green-and-black figure of Sixteen appeared over the horizon, carrying all three men. He joined the Z Fighters after setting them down half a kilometre from the now-destroyed arena.

Goku and Cell landed metres away from the pit. They seemed to be talking, but the Z Fighters were too far away to hear them.

Chiyo barely felt the shift in chi before Cell attacked. its arm snapped outwards and shot a chi blast directly at Goku.

_Look out!_ She cried silently. But her father simply dodged the blast.

Cell fired again and again, but Goku dodged them effortlessly, leaping and twisting in the air.

Smoke and dust washed over the nearby cliff on which the Z Fighters were standing. Chiyo began to cough as it blew into her eyes, her nose, her mouth.

A figure shot into the air above the billowing smoke. The others couldn't see what he was doing, but they didn't need to - Goku's voice carried over the plain.

"Ka - me - "

"It's a _Kamehameha!_" Piccoro roared. "Son's going to shoot a full powered _Kamehameha!_"

"What?" Kuririn shouted. "No way! He's not gonna do it! If he fires from up there, he'll destroy th' Earth!"

"Ha - me - "

"He's going to fire!" Vegeta shouted.

_No! No!_ Chiyo shouted silently, holding her breath in terror. _Papa, you'll kill us all!_

Suddenly, Goku's chi shifted. And seconds later he appeared, directly in front of Cell.

Even though Chiyo couldn't see Cell's face, she could imagine its terror.

"HA!" Goku screamed, and the world exploded in a blaze of blue light.

Chiyo squeezed her eyes shut against the blinding light of the blast, though she already knew what had happened - Cell's chi dropped, then faded gradually.

Then it was over, and Chiyo opened her eyes to the happy cries of Yamcha and Tenshinhan.

"Goku did it!" Yamcha said, grinning fit to burst. "He used his Instantaneous Movement!"

Chiyo took a few tentative steps to the edge of the cliff and peered down. There, near her father, was all that was left of Cell - a torso and a pair of legs. The _Kamehameha_ had blown his head off.

Normally the small girl would have been horrified at such a sight, but it was Cell, and it deserved it.

"Watch out Goku!" Kuririn shouted, startling Yamcha, Tenshinhan, Chiyo and Gohan. "Cell can regenerate!"

_What does regenerate mean?_ Chiyo wondered.

She was about to find out.

Cell's chi suddenly spiked, and the small girl turned back to the scene before her. And to her horror, the headless figure of Cell leapt to its feet.

Chiyo barely stopped herself from screaming aloud. A headless person was one thing, but a thing that was supposed to be dead actually _moving_ was another.

As the Z fighters watched in surprise and fear, Cell's torso began to quiver, and the pulpy mess where its head had been almost seemed to bubble.

And Cell's head and arms exploded from the top of its torso.

"Is that re-gen-ration?" Chiyo asked her brother. He was too busy gaping at Cell to reply.

The new Cell seemed to be exactly like the old; its chi had even been restored, though it had lost energy with the attack. It began to stretch casually in front of Goku, who was by now looking tired.

The two fighters powered up, and began to trade blows again, but this time it was clear who had the advantage. Even though Cell had been affected by the _Kamehameha_, it seemed to be renewed with energy.

Goku burst from the rock wall into which he had been thrown. Powering up again, he began to fire chi blasts at Cell. While not nearly as powerful as the _Kamehameha_, the small blasts often added a distraction or in large numbers could be used to overpower an enemy.

Cell was enveloped in a cloud of smoke as the blasts hit. Chiyo covered her ears against the deafening sounds of the resulting explosions.

Cell's chi flared, and light burst from its body; A ball of chi grew outwards, crackling with electricity, into which the chi blasts dissipated.

Chiyo had never seen anything like it. The ball - which she guessed was some kind of barrier - grew and grew, until she, Kuririn, Gohan, Yamcha and Trunks had to jump back; the barrier began to eat away at the rock wall.

The barrier disappeared, and left behind was a crater almost the size of the pit a few hundred feet away.

Cell began to talk. However this time Chiyo was close enough to hear it.

"You look like you've lost a lot of energy," it told Goku. "You should eat a senzu seed. Then this can be a more spectacular fight."

Cell was right. Goku was beginning to breathe more heavily; he had a slump to his shoulders and the aura was beginning to dissipate.

Chiyo felt a sudden prickle of fear. If her father was tired and Cell not...then how could they win? Who else could be strong enough to take on this monster?

"Do what it says!" Trunks said, turning to Kuririn. "If we give Goku a senzu seed and we all attack Cell we should be able to beat it now!"

Chiyo silently agreed, although somehow it didn't feel...honourable.

_Honour_, a little voice in her mind sneered. _Who_ _cares about honour when you have to win?_

Kuririn was silent. When the small girl looked over at him, she saw his expression mirrored hers.

"Kuririn!" Trunks said, exasperated. "Give him a senzu, fast!"

"Quiet, Trunks!"

Vegeta's voice rang out suddenly, startling the rest of the group. All eyes turned to look at him.

"You have no Saiyan pride," he said. "Kakarrot would rather die than win like that. Although he probably will be killed..." He turned to look at Cell. "He pisses me off, but I admire him. I trained as hard as I could but I couldn't surpass Kakarrot. But Cell is one or two steps ahead of even him."

"So what do you think we should do?" Trunks exclaimed. "Stand here and watch?"

"You said it yourself, he probably has a plan," Vegeta replied. "We'll have to rely on that."

"That's easy for you to say!" Chiyo said, scowling at him. "You don't even _like_ my Papa!"

"What's wrong?" Cell shouted, cutting off Vegeta's reply. "Is your pride getting in the way of you eating a senzu seed?"

When Goku didn't reply, it continued. "I've lost strength. If you were at full power you could have a small chance of winning. I want you to amuse me more!"

Goku stared at Cell for a long moment, still catching his breath. Then the aura disappeared - and he said two words which Chiyo had never hoped to hear from her father.

"I surrender!"


	37. The World's Strongest

**Chapter 37 - The World's Strongest**

"_You must do the things you think you cannot do."_

_- Eleanor Roosevelt_

"I surrender!" Goku called. "I know how strong you are now. I'm going to quit!"

The admission brought a cacophony of protest from the Z fighters.

"What?"

"He's...surrendering?"

"Papa, are you crazy?"

"What's he thinking of!"

"Impossible!"

Cell was silent for a minute. Then,

"Son Goku...do you know the meaning of what you just said? If there's nobody left to fight in the Cell Game, then all of the people on Earth will die..."

"Don't mistake me," Goku replied, smiling. "There's somebody left to fight."

"It'll wind up the same," Cell said. "I know Vegeta and Trunks are stronger, but they're still weaker than you."

_Papa, what are you doing?_ Chiyo thought desperately. _Don't give up!_

"Can I choose who gets to fight you next?"

Cell frowned. "You're really planning on surrendering, aren't you?"

"Shit!" Vegeta swore. "What is he doing? No-one can beat Cell!"

"The next match will probably decide the outcome of the Cell Game," Goku continued. "If the next guy can't beat you, probably no-one can."

"Who's he talking about?" Kuririn demanded. "I have no idea..."

_Papa said 'guy'_, Chiyo thought, _so it's not me._ She wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed - even though she knew she was no match for Cell.

"However," Goku added, "after fighting you, I'm pretty sure that he can beat you."

"What?"

"That's why I left everything to him and gave up."

Cell laughed. "Are you trying to say that you think he's stronger than I am?"

"Yeah."

"Then tell me the name of this person!"

Chiyo threw a quick glance at the rest of the group. Who could possibly be strong enough? Maybe Vegeta...Trunks...or Piccolo?

"It's your turn...Gohan!"

Chiyo didn't register what her father had said until the rest of the group had finished reacting.

Gohan?

Papa was choosing _Gohan_ to fight Cell?

But...but...

"No," she whispered.

_He'll be killed!_

Goku landed on the cliff the other fighters were on. Everyone gaped at him, but he only had eyes for Gohan.

"Do you think you can do it?" he asked.

"Y...you want me to fight Cell...?"

"That's impossible, Son!" Piccolo snapped. "I know he's gotten much stronger, but you want him to fight Cell!"

"Piccolo, Gohan is a lot stronger than we've ever imagined," Goku replied calmly. "He's been fighting alongside us since he was little. When I was his age I wasn't anything special at all!"

Kuririn frowned. "But even though he's a Super Saiyan, he couldn't've gotten that much stronger."

But Goku simply smiled. "Shall we ask Gohan what he thinks?"

Chiyo turned a white face to her brother. Gohan was pale and sweating, but his expression remained blank. The small girl suddenly knew he would accept, whether or not he had the strength to kill Cell. Her brother's sense of honour would allow nothing else.

"Son," Goku said, "when you were watching me fight Cell, did you think it was too hard or that you wouldn't be able to keep up?"

"No," the boy admitted, "but neither of you were fighting all out, were you?"

"I don't know about Cell...but I was fighting as hard as I could. Did it seem to you that I was holding back?"

Chiyo couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was Gohan on an equal level with Goku now? She felt a faint glimmer of hope. Maybe he _could_ kill Cell.

Piccolo stared at Gohan in shock.

"I...is this true, Gohan?"

Gohan lowered his head. "Ye...Yes."

"Do it, Gohan!" Goku said cheerfully, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "Bring back peace to the world. Don't you want to become a scientist?"

Gohan looked up at his father. He was still sweating, but his expression was one of determination.

"Okay," he said. "I'll do my best."

Chiyo closed her eyes. Her brother's words rang in her head.

She knew it would be his death sentence.

_Papa, why?_ she thought, lowering her head. _Why Gohan? I wish it was me instead..._

Gohan landed on the ground outside the enormous crater Cell had created previously.

"Kuririn, do you have the senzu seeds?" Goku said. "Give me one."

"Okay."

"Thanks." Goku took the senzu seed and stood up. But he didn't eat it.

"Cell!"

Cell glanced down at the cliff where the Z Fighters were standing. And Goku threw the senzu seed to it.

"That's a senzu seed!" the Saiyan called. "Eat it!"

"You idiot!" Kuririn shouted. "What the hell d'you think you're doing?"

"He's lost a lot of strength," Goku said. "I want this to be a fair fight."

A fair fight?

Chiyo stared up at her father, now certain that he had lost his mind.

_Maybe the Room of Spirit and Time made him crazy_, she thought worriedly. _I should've had Mama take his temperature before he left._

Cell began to laugh.

"Fool!" it shouted. "This is going to cost you your life."

And the monster ate the senzu seed.

Seconds later the Z Fighters felt Cell's chi surge. It was back to its full power.

"Son, I don't care what you were thinking," Piccolo rumbled, "that was foolish!"

Chiyo just stared at Goku, completely lost for words. He glanced at her, smiled, and gave her shoulder a pat. Far from being reassured, she turned her attention to the battlefield.

Gohan was standing there, a tiny speck against the barren scenery. Then he screamed, and for the third time that day a gust of wind blew from the power of his chi, showering the Z fighters with rocks and dust.

Chiyo covered her face with her hands. She couldn't believe that was really her brother; his chi was exactly on par with Goku's. But would he be able to stand against Cell?

At last the wind died down, and Gohan was left standing in the middle of a small crater, surrounded by the golden aura of a Super Saiyan. Chiyo was struck by how much he looked like Goku - the same stance, the same power, the same look of determination on his face. She also realized she had never really seen her brother fight except during training, and part of her was excited to see how he would fare against Cell.

"Is that really Gohan?" Piccolo said. "Is Gohan that grown up?"

_He's changed_, Chiyo thought. _The Room Of Spirit and Time changed him. Like it changed me._

_Chiyo crashed to the ground on her stomach and lay there for a moment, the breath knocked out of her._

_It was too much. The endless days of nothing but training until she collapsed, the nightmares that haunted her already fragmented sleep, and the struggle of keeping up with someone who was years ahead of her. And there was another six months of this!_

_Chiyo felt lump rising in her throat, but she swallowed until it went away. She _would not_ cry. She hadn't cried or even complained once while she had been in here, and she wouldn't. She refused to give in. Gohan withstood the entire year in the Room. And so would she._

Papa, why did you do this?_ Chiyo thought desperately, staring at the ground so hard her eyes began to blur. _Why did you have faith in me? I'm not strong like you! I'm nothing!

_Through blurry eyes, the small girl saw Piccolo begin to walk towards her again. Her fists clenched on the ground._

_She hated Piccolo._

_She hated Papa._

_She hated Gohan._

_She hated everyone._

A small surge in Cell's chi broke Chiyo from her reverie. She looked up in time to see Cell aim a vicious kick at Gohan, who blocked it with his elbow almost effortlessly. Cell leapt away and came at him again, but Gohan dodged the attack and landed again.

The battle had begun.


	38. Gohan's Hidden Strength

**Chapter 38 - Gohan's Hidden Strength**

Cell attacked.

Chiyo watched with the others, heart in her mouth as the monster seized Gohan by the collar and head butted him. She forced herself not to flinch as Cell punched him twice, then threw him away and blasted him with his chi.

_Focus on his chi,_ she told herself. _Gohan's fine. He's okay. He's got to be okay._

But the other Z fighters didn't seem to think so.

"You killed Gohan!" Piccolo roared. "Everyone warned you about this, Son!"

"Calm down, Piccolo," Goku said. "Gohan's chi hasn't gone down at all."

Piccolo shot a glance at Chiyo. The small girl's lack of hysteria seemed to confirm it for him - and seconds later he too felt Gohan's chi.

"Son Goku, that's enough of your silly joke!" Cell called. "Eat a senzu seed and fight me some more!"

"Idiot!" Goku called. "Look behind you!"

Chiyo followed Cell's gaze. Gohan was walking from the pile of rocks that had been a small mountain, surrounded by a golden aura.

It was then that the small girl thought maybe, just _maybe_, Gohan could beat Cell.

She watched as her brother walked right up to Cell and stopped. But instead of fighting, they seemed to be talking.

"What's Gohan saying?" Kuririn said. "He's too quiet."

There was a blur, too fast for Chiyo to see. Then Cell's fist lashed out and caught Gohan across the face, knocking the boy back. It followed up with an elbow to the

head and a kick that sent him flying.

"Gohan!" Chiyo said, horrified. She could feel the impact of Cell's blows from the cliff as subtle tremors running through the bare rock.

"Get angry!" Cell shouted. "Show me your true power!"

Chiyo looked up at her father. "What does he mean?"

Goku didn't reply. He was watching the fight, but the expression on his face was one of satisfaction.

Cell rushed at Gohan and threw a punch, but the half-Saiyan leapt to avoid it and kicked the monster in the face.

"Alright!" Kuririn cheered. "Cell fell on its butt!"

Cell climbed to his feet and wiped his mouth. It smiled and said something inaudible, then held out its hand, index finger pointing outwards as if it were gesturing to Gohan.

A beam shot from Cell's index finger and lanced towards Gohan. The boy fell backwards to avoid it.

"That's the same beam Freeza used!" Kuririn said.

Chiyo shot a puzzled glance toward him. She remembered her father telling her that Gohan and Kuririn had gone to Planet Namek and battled Freeza. She wondered if he'd been as much of a monster as Cell.

Cell continued to fire beams at Gohan, who barely managed to dodge each one. Then as he leapt and missed the last, a blur flashed across the barren landscape - and Gohan was suddenly trapped in a full body hold in Cell's arms.

Chiyo saw it almost in slow motion. Cell's powerful arms tightened around her brother, and Gohan screamed. With his arms trapped he could do nothing to get himself out of the hold.

"Gohan!" Chiyo said again, and started forward automatically. She was stopped by a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"Don't get involved," Goku said firmly.

_Don't get involved?_ Chiyo thought mutinously. _What else can I do?_

"But..."

Her father shook his head.

"Damn it!" Piccolo swore, his eyes fixed on the figures of Gohan and Cell. "Gohan!"

Chiyo closed her eyes and turned her face away, but she couldn't block out the cries that rang out across the battlefield. Gohan's screams intensified as Cell tightened its hold yet again.

"Gohan," Chiyo said, and began to cry. The worst feeling she had ever endured was helplessness. No, worse than that - a helpless rage that ate at her insides like acid.

Goku's hand on her shoulder tightened reassuringly, but Chiyo ignored it. She had to do something. She had to use what she had learned in the Room Of Spirit and Time - but how could she get that surge of power back?

_She hated Piccolo._

_She hated Papa._

_She hated Gohan._

_She hated everyone._

_But most of all, she hated herself._

_And then all that anger and rage and pain suddenly exploded, releasing itself in a scream of pure fury. Somehow in the middle of it, Piccolo was knocked flying by a kick that came from the girl who had, seconds before, been too weak to stand up._

_Chiyo and Piccolo fell to the ground at the same time, but only one got up._

_The Namekian climbed to his feet and gingerly touched his broken nose, which was beginning to swell._

_Chiyo lay on the ground on her back, her breath coming in harsh pants. The golden aura that had appeared around her was gone, and her hair was dark once again._

_If it hadn't happened before his eyes, Piccolo would never have believed it._

It was happening again.

The anger and pain began to build in Chiyo, and she couldn't stop it. The scream burst from her mouth again, but this time there was a name on her lips.

"GO-HA-A-A-A-N!"

Chiyo leapt forward as the screams of her brother again reached her ears. _Attack from behind, just one blow, and he'll be okay - _

Her lunge was suddenly halted as Goku grabbed both of her wrists and pulled her around to face him. He was much faster in his Super Saiyan form, and anger blinded her to the subtle shift in chi before he moved.

"Chiyo!" he said, an edge to his voice now. "Don't! Gohan is going to be fine. You don't have to save him!"

Still furious, Chiyo tried to wrench out of the iron grip on her arms.

"My brother needs me!" she shouted. She was unaware that everyone was staring at her in complete surprise.

"Am I dreaming?" Kuririn asked Trunks. "Is Chiyo really a Super Saiyan, or am I just seeing things?"

"No! Chiyo is right!"

It was Piccolo who had spoken. He scowled at Goku. "I'm going to help Gohan, whether you say or not. I won't watch this!"

"Wait!" Goku said. "Please, you can't do anything to help him. Wait a while longer."

_"Wait?"_ the Namekian roared. "What do you mean, wait? You want me to wait until he dies?"

"Wait for him to get angry," Goku explained, tightening the grip on Chiyo, who was struggling for all she was worth. "Once he gets mad his true strength will be released! That's the only thing that can beat Cell."

"Do you know how hard it is to get Gohan mad?" Chiyo demanded, still trying to get out of her father's grip. "Let _go_ of me! I have to help him!"

Piccolo growled. "Son, you're wrong! Gohan doesn't enjoy fighting like you! Did you tell him about this? He's not wondering about the fight; he's wondering why you care more about beating Cell than his life!"

Goku glanced from him to Chiyo, and his face suddenly held a look of consternation.

"Is this true?" he asked.

Chiyo nodded. She didn't care if her face was crumpled and reddened, or if her eyes were blinded with tears. The anger was fading, replaced by a terrible choking sadness that forced sobs from her throat.

"Help him," she begged her father. "Please. Don't let my brother die."

There was a long pause, then Goku let go of his daughter's arms.

"Kuririn," he said. "Give me a senzu seed."

"Right."

Kuririn took the bag of senzu seeds from his sash and began to rummage in it, but at that moment Cell let go of Gohan. The boy fell to the ground limply and lay on his stomach unmoving, gasping for breath.

"Gohan!"

Cell glanced towards the cliff on which the Z fighters were standing, and in the next moment it was flying towards them.

"Damn it!" Piccolo said again, pulling off his cape. He rushed at Cell, but missed as the monster landed before Kuririn. Next thing they knew, the senzu bag was in Cell's hands.

"The senzu seeds are here, right?" it said. "I'll hold onto this."

Cell left and landed by Gohan. The boy scrambled to his feet, wiping his forehead.

"Get ready," Piccolo growled. "He's going to attack us!"

"Damn it," Goku muttered. "I should have eaten a senzu earlier."

Gohan rushed at Cell blindly, but the monster simply kicked him aside.

_What is he going to do?_ Chiyo wondered, studying him carefully. _If only I had stayed in my Super Saiyan transformation! But I could never do it on my own even after six months in the Room..._

The Z fighters were so focused on watching Cell and Gohan that they barely registered the blur of movement before Cell was grabbed in a body hold from behind.

Sixteen.

"He's an Android!" Piccolo said. "That's why Cell didn't sense him."

"No, he's gonna fight Cell," Kuririn said, gaping at the Android.

Trunks scowled. "He can't beat him by himself!"

Piccolo began to crack his knuckles. "Let's help him."

"Wait!"

It was Sixteen who had spoken. He was still holding Cell tightly, trapping the monster's arms so it couldn't break free.

"Stay back!" Sixteen continued. "I'm going to blow myself up with Cell!"

"He'll...he'll do what?" Goku repeated.

"There's a powerful self destruct unit in my body," Sixteen shouted. "Please forgive me for getting you involved. The explosion will blow you to bits, but we have no other choice...Cell, you will not survive this blast!"

Sixteen began to glow a bright yellow. Chiyo squeezed her eyes shut as the light intensified and covered her face.

_I don't want to die! I'm only six!_

When long seconds passed and nothing happened, Chiyo opened her eyes.

"Are we dead yet?" she asked out loud.

But they were still in the same place. And Sixteen was no longer glowing.

"W...why?" Sixteen said. "Why didn't I explode?"

Kuririn cupped his hands around his mouth. "Sixteen! It's because the self destruct unit isn't there anymore!"

Cell began to laugh. One arm broke free and pointed directly at Sixteen.

The chi blast blew him apart.

Chiyo bit her lip to keep herself from screaming aloud in horror. When the dust cleared away only Sixteen's head remained, and it was kicked away into the rocks like a piece of garbage.

Again, Cell turned towards the cliff and the Z fighters tensed as one. It seemed to be concentrating.

Then Chiyo saw a small figure hop from behind Cell. It was a perfect miniature of the Android, except in the colour blue.

"Wh...what's that?" she said, tugging on her father's pants leg.

Another figure appeared, and another...three, four, five, six, seven, eight. The mini-Cells crowded around Cell, chuckling. They all looked identical.

"What the hell are they?" Piccolo said, staring at the scene below.

Somehow Chiyo knew - it was about to get uglier.


	39. Ascension

**Chapter 39 – Ascension**

"_Nearly all men can stand adversity. If you want to test a man's character, give him power."_

_- Abraham Lincoln._

The miniature clones of Cell chuckled. Even from fifty feet away, Chiyo could hear Cell's shout.

"Go Cell Juniors! Those eight atop the hill are your targets. Make them hurt. I don't care if you kill them."

The Cell Juniors turned, as one, towards the cliff.

Then they charged.

"Watch out!" Goku shouted. "These guys are mean!"

Chiyo readied herself as the Cell Juniors rushed towards them. She guessed Cell had made one for each fighter, including her.

And if they were like Cell, one would be more than enough. Not to mention they were small - that put her at an advantage, but it would make them harder to hit for the adults.

"Chiyo, you need to transform," Goku said. "Get mad!"

Chiyo stared at him. _How do I just get mad?_ She wondered.

"He he he he he!"

The small girl looked up into a face remarkably like Cell's. The creature stuck out its tongue and crossed its eyes. Then in a flash of movement its tiny fist lashed out.

Chiyo barely dodged the blow and retaliated with a punch that the creature caught on its forearm. While she and the Cell Junior traded blows, she tried her hardest to increase her chi to turn into Super Saiyan. Nothing happened, and fighting for her life against a powerful monster didn't help her concentration either.

_Why isn't it working?_ she thought desperately, blocking a vicious kick from the Cell Junior. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kuririn fly past and crash headlong into the rock wall with his Cell Junior trailing behind.

The small girl felt a spark of anger mixed with despair. The human members of the Z fighters weren't even Super Saiyans, and they had to fight against monsters that far outmatched them. Everything she had been taught about fighting rankled against this useless violence.

Chiyo's small hand shot out and caught the Cell Junior's arm in mid-punch. Even without her Super Saiyan transformation, her speed was an advantage in any battle. She pulled the creature toward her and tossed it into its waiting brother, using the little monster as a club. The Cell Juniors tumbled head over heels into the rocky ground, squealing.

"Th-thanks, kiddo," Kuririn wheezed as Chiyo helped him up. "Don't worry 'bout me. One's enough fer you as it is..." his eyes widened. "Look out!"

Too late Chiyo looked up; the Cell Juniors both hurtled towards her with their legs outstretched. The double kick caught her in the stomach and sent her flying over the cliff, crashing to the ground not ten feet from Cell and Gohan.

Chiyo lay crumpled on the bare rock with the wind knocked out of her. Through blurry vision she saw her brother's shocked face with her name on his lips. His expression moved her to stand up, but nausea overcame her and she was violently sick.

It was a few minutes before the Saiyan girl could fly again, but fly she did.

The Cell Junior was waiting. Chiyo dropped into a fighting stance, all the while wondering why she couldn't transform. Even six months in the Room Of Spirit and Time couldn't teach her to control the power. She just couldn't do it without anger.

The small girl and the Cell Junior traded blows, just one of many fighters doing the same - and below a desperate boy struggled with feelings similar to his sister's.

Pain returned in full as Chiyo came to her senses; she had been knocked out momentarily by an impact to the ground. Too tired to bother getting up, she closed her eyes. The Cell Junior would come soon enough.

A sudden tremour ran through the earth as something heavy crashed before the small girl.

Chiyo opened her eyes and, to her horror, there lay the crumpled form of her father. His eyes, turned a brilliant green by the Super Saiyan transformation, fixed on her bloody face.

"Chiyo," he croaked.

"P-papa…!"

Goku stretched a shaky hand towards his daughter. "You have to get mad…it's the only way to reach Super Saiyan…"

"I - I can't," Chiyo gasped. "I d-don't know how -" a spasm of coughing stopped her from speaking, and when she took her hand away from her mouth there was blood.

"I know you can do it," her father replied firmly. "You have the power ."

The Cell Junior attacked without warning.

Neither Chiyo nor Goku saw it coming. The Cell Junior who had been fighting Goku came from the sky, both legs curled up to its chest. As it slowed its legs unfolded and planted themselves directly onto Goku's back.

The Saiyan's mouth opened in a scream of pain. His eyes bulged and his fingers jerked reflexively in agony as the Cell Junior lifted his foot then slammed it downwards again.

His wasn't the only voice to be heard on the battlefield. Yamcha's screams rang out over the barren landscape, and here and there would be a grunt or stifled cry as the Cell Junior's hard blows hit.

Chiyo's gaze focused on the Cell Junior -

And then it happened. The rush of white-hot anger consumed the small girl again, and her scream of rage drowned out the agonized cries of the wounded Z fighters.

Somehow Chiyo found the strength to leap to her feet and seize the foot of the Cell Junior before it could hurt Goku again. Pulling the creature toward her, Chiyo brought it downwards - but instead of tossing it into a sibling as she had done before, she slammed it into the ground as hard as she could.

There was an explosion of rock and dust, an audible crack and a squeal of pain, but the girl didn't seem to notice. She jumped backwards, planting herself between her own Cell Junior and Goku and brought her hands up to the level of her forehead, left hand over right hand and palms facing outward.

_"Ma - sen - "_

The Cell Junior she had slammed into the ground leapt up. Together, it and Chiyo's Cell Junior charged the small girl.

"_Ko_ - HA!"

They were too slow. The powerful chi blast hit the creatures full on and drove them back into a crater almost the size of the one Cell had made earlier.

Chiyo turned and offered her father her hand solemnly. Goku took it, aware that something had changed in his daughter other than just her chi.

"Thanks," he said, and together they turned to face the Cell Juniors. But just as the creatures moved forward, a shout from Cell reached their ears.

"Cell Juniors! That's enough playing around! You can kill them now!"

"NO!"

Gohan's shout made Cell smile.

_Good_, it thought. _Just a little more shove_.

"Do it!" it shouted to his children. "Kill them!"

_What am I going to do?_ the boy thought desperately. He felt the chi in him begin to rise, but something was holding it back, like an animal fighting to get out of its cage.

He stood, shaking, staring intently at the battle raging on the cliffside. Most of the Z fighters were down, unable to even defend themselves against the Cell Juniors. Vegeta and Trunks were throwing blows that grew increasingly weaker. His father tried to defend himself as his Cell Junior punched his face, solar plexus, and behind the knees, enjoying the way the Saiyan stumbled. His younger sister was barely able to stop the barrage of kicks from her Cell Junior.

Suddenly, there was a clatter. Gohan, distracted, looked down.

And there was Sixteen. His head was rolling, though by his own movements or being thrown, he couldn't tell.

"It's the Android," Gohan muttered. Briefly he remembered what had happened to Sixteen only an hour ago. Was it really only an hour? It seemed like days had passed.

Then surprisingly, the head spoke.

"Son Gohan," Sixteen said. "Fighting for righteousness isn't a sin. There are some opponents who words alone will not reach."

Gohan turned his full attention on the Android. He had never met Sixteen before today, but his words struck a chord in the young boy.

"You can release your anger," Sixteen continued. "I know how you feel, but you don't have to hold back anymore."

Cell turned his helmeted head to watch the exchange. "That's good advice," it said, smirking, "but I was teaching him that in my own way."

Sixteen smiled; it was a human smile. "Please, protect the nature and animals I love."

Cell walked over to the remains of the Android. Then before the boy could stop it, its foot came down. Sixteen's head was crushed. Bits of metal and circuitry went everywhere, spattered with blood. The mangled face twitched once, then went still.

"Yet another fighter you could have saved."

Gohan stared at the last remains of Sixteen in shock. Inside the turmoil of emotions began to rise. Suddenly, he was aware of everything around him - including Cell's satisfaction.

_Sixteen, you loved life. You gave everything up to save it._

Cell turned back to the battle. And even though it was fifty feet away Gohan could see, clearly, the battered faces of those he had sworn to defend. Sixteen was not among them; he was beyond feeling now.

_You were just an Android. I let you die. I can't do this anymore._

Gohan stared at his hands. The bruises and cuts, even the skin, stripped away and he could see the intricate lines of chi beneath his skin. As he watched they began to glow, brighter and brighter.

_I feel it slipping._

The hands clenched into fists.

Slipping.

The eyes closed.

_I won't watch this -_

His mouth opened.

_- anymore._

The scream that burst from the boy's mouth was filled with more rage and hate than he had ever felt in his young life. And although the wounded animal sounds were incoherent, one could almost hear a single word.

_"CELL...!"_


	40. More Than A Match

**Chapter 40 – More Than A Match**

Gohan's chi surged.

Chiyo propped herself up on her elbows and began to crawl to the edge of the cliff. It was all she could do; her energy was sapped from trying to hold the Super Saiyan transformation, which had fizzled out seconds ago. Now she was curious to see what was happening.

Down below Gohan was standing in the midst of a gale that whipped dust around him with ever-increasing force. His aura had returned and was expanding and turning a deep gold.

"He's changing," she murmured.

Gohan's screams rang across the battlefield still, but the sound held no pain. His chi soared again, and his aura brightened. Bolts of electricity began to crackle around him.

_Is that really my brother?_ Chiyo wondered, peering over the edge of the rock. _Is he really so grown-up?_

All around her the Z fighters and Cell Juniors alike had ceased the fight to stare at Gohan, who began to walk slowly towards Cell. He stopped inches from the monster and his arm seemed to blur. A small, brown bag appeared in his left hand seconds later.

_He's so fast!_ Chiyo thought, wondering if she had dust in her eyes. But no, her eyes were fine. Gohan took off, heading straight for the Cell Junior who stood over the half-conscious form of Kuririn.

The Cell Junior snickered at the boy. It cocked its head to one side, considered, then leapt to attack.

Chiyo didn't even see the movement. Gohan's arm swung in a chopping motion and decapitated the little monster. Blood and brains spattered in a wide arc on the rocky ground. The body followed with a wet thump.

There were high-pitched gasps as the Cell Junior witnessed their sibling's demise. Then they leapt as one and rushed for Gohan.

"N-no_..._!" Chiyo croaked, struggling to get up. Her legs didn't seem to be working.

Gohan looked unconcerned as the Cell Juniors sped towards him. Then he was in the air, intercepting the creatures as they attacked. His foot lashed out, tearing one monster in half with a single blow. A fist to another followed and the Cell Junior's head exploded like an overripe melon.

Chiyo watched with tears in her eyes as her brother tore through the Cell Juniors. _Gohan...what have you become?_

"Trunks!"

Gohan floated high above the cliff. He seemed not to be concerned by the gore that fell to Earth in a shower; the remnants of the Cell Juniors. He tossed the bag to Trunks. "Give these to everyone."

"O-okay." Trunks leapt off the cliff to administer the senzu seeds to Kuririn, Tenshinhan and Yamcha, all of whom were unconscious.

Chiyo pulled herself into a sitting position with difficulty as Trunks approached her.

"Good, you're awake," he said. "Catch."

The small girl caught the seed and popped it into her mouth. It tasted vile, but it did the trick. Her wounds disappeared and her energy returned. She rejoined the others, who had moved away from the half-destroyed cliff and were huddling together.

Cell's chi surged and again the dry wind appeared, blowing Chiyo's fringe into her eyes. She closed her eyes, feeling slightly irritated at the way the chi-fueled gale made her skin sting from rock fragments and dry gusts of wind.

Cell was at its full fighting power, Chiyo realized, as the dust cleared and revealed the monster with a golden Super Saiyan-like aura. But strangely she was not frightened. If she was correct, then Gohan was much stronger.

"This is Cell's full power at last," Goku said.

"I feel the whole planet trembling," Kuririn muttered.

Cell moved, faster than Chiyo could see; its fist lashed out and dealt Gohan a punch to the face that, ten minutes ago, would have sent the boy flying.

He didn't move.

Cell's expression changed from smug to surprised. Gohan held himself steady in a standing position, his face turned away where the fist had smashed against his cheek.

Cell struck again. This time Gohan brought up his elbow and blocked the punch. A second later and his fist was buried in Cell's solar plexus.

Chiyo gasped out loud; her brother's punch had been too fast for her to follow as well. She realized she could no longer depend solely on her eyes to see his movements.

Cell stumbled backwards, its arms bracing against its stomach. it must have been in terrible pain, but it only fueled its anger. It brought an arm slashing down, hoping to catch Gohan unawares, but the half-Saiyan simply dodged. Chiyo saw his feet leave the ground -

And the uppercut that followed smashed into Cell's jaw.

This time the creature went flying. It caught itself a few metres back and struggled to its feet. Blood ran from its nose and mouth, staining its teeth purple.

The anger was gone from its face, to be replaced by a dawning fear.

Chiyo felt a certain satisfaction at Cell's loss of arrogance, but at the same time she knew something was different. In the first stage of Super Saiyan the person who transformed was overcome by rage; she had experienced this herself. But this level was different. There was a coldness that radiated from Gohan. It was this coldness that she feared more than the anger. She wished Gohan would hurry up and finish Cell already.

"HA!"

The Android threw a kick that was slow enough for Chiyo to see it. Gohan's two punches had done physical as well as mental damage - the kick was clumsy and overly defensive. Gohan blocked it easily, but Cell kicked at him again and again. In the moments that followed Chiyo could see its blows gradually getting weaker. Gohan kept blocking with one elbow, then after a minute followed up with a kick that sent Cell flying again. The expression on the monster's face after getting up was now close to terror.

_Why is Gohan drawing the fight out?_ Chiyo wondered. _He could've easily finished it just then...or could he?_

Cell struggled to its feet and stared at Gohan, its eyes bulging in surprise. It seemed to be thinking.

"Cell's finished," Trunks said. "It's no match for Gohan."

Chiyo glanced quickly over at the group. Trunks, Tenshinhan, Yamcha and Kuririn seemed to be hopeful, even excited. Vegeta and Piccolo were silent. And Goku was frowning.

"You see it too, don't you Papa?" she said quietly.

Her father glanced down at her briefly before nodding. "Yeah."

There was a flare of chi, and Cell shot into the air. It cupped long-fingered hands into a familiar stance.

_"Ka...me...ha..."_

"No!" Kuririn shouted.

_"Me..."_

Goku clenched his fists. "Bastard!"

Cell began to laugh. "A Kamehameha at full power!" it shouted. "Dodge and the Earth will be pulp! You'll have to take it head on!"

Chiyo tore her gaze from Cell to Gohan. The boy was standing still, looking up at Cell. His face seemed expressionless.

_"HA!"_

Cell fired.

For the second time that day, the battlefield was drenched in blue light. Chiyo turned her face away from its source as spots exploded before her eyes. She was strangely unafraid.

"Ha!"

Gohan's chi flared. Chiyo barely had time to comprehend what was happening before the area again exploded in blue light.

It took the small girl several seconds before she could see properly, even after the light faded. Gradually the spots before her eyes faded and she saw Gohan lowering his hands from the _Kamehameha_ stance, smirking at the sky. Above, Cell was shaking. The boy's _Kamehameha_ had blown off it leg, arm and wings.

There was no doubt about it. Gohan was more than a match for Cell.

But if that was true, then why hadn't he finished the fight?


	41. Fatal Mistake

**Chapter 41 - Fatal Mistake**

Gohan smiled.

Cell floated in the sky above, shaking. Half its body had been blown off by the boy's _Kamehameha_.

Chiyo watched her brother. Although he clearly had the upper hand in the fight, she was uneasy.

"Gohan, what are you doing?" Goku suddenly called, making her jump. "Finish it! Finish Cell off!"

Gohan turned his head and looked at his father.

"Already?" he replied. "Sorry, Dad. It deserves to suffer more."

These were the last words Chiyo ever expected - or wanted - to hear from her brother. Where was the gentle, funny boy who gave her piggy-back rides around the house and taught her to swim? In his place was this...Saiyan; his human side gone.

_That's not Gohan_, she decided. _I_ _don't know where Gohan is, but that's not him_.

"What did you say?" Goku said, staring at his son.

Piccolo, too, looked bewildered. "What's come over him?"

Above their heads, Cell's chi began to rise.

"Gohan, you're the only one who can finish it - do it now!" Goku shouted. "Don't let it get desperate! We don't know what it'll do!"

But it was too late. With a shout of triumph, the missing body parts burst from Cell's body with a sound like an overripe fruit being stepped on.

"Damn it!" Goku muttered. "What have I done?"

Chiyo was silent. Her feeling of uneasiness had definitely returned; this time it was almost unbearable to watch Gohan behave like...like Vegeta would.

Cell's roars jolted the small girl out of her reverie. The monster landed before Gohan, but its form was grotesquely distorted; eyes bulging and the veins in its neck popping.

"I will never -" it growled. "I will never lose to a thing like you!"

It attacked, but Gohan simply leapt out of the way.

"It transformed to maximize power and lost speed," Trunks observed. "It's the same mistake it mocked me for! It's blinded by rage!"

Chiyo threw a glance in his direction. She remembered watching Trunks's battle with Cell at God's lookout, and realised he was right. She wondered why he had done it in the first place.

Gohan lunged and kicked Cell viciously across the face, but didn't follow up with another attack. He simply landed nearby and watched Cell gasp and grunt.

_Gohan, stop playing with him!_ Chiyo screamed silently. _Why do you want to make him suffer?_

As the others watched in awe, Cell began to make gurgling sounds. Its cheeks bulged and its long nails scrabbled helplessly at his torso.

"He's gonna throw up!" Kuririn said, looking disgusted.

"_Ew!_" Chiyo squealed, covering her eyes.

There was a retching sound and a collective gasp from the Z fighters.

"It's...it's _Eighteen!_" Kuririn gasped. "It vomited Eighteen!"

Chiyo took her hands away from her face. Cell was shaking, eyes popping madly and spittle dribbling from its gaping mouth. Its face began to morph - gradually the lips grew thicker, the skin mottled, and its eyes bulged until she was sure they would pop from its head.

_It's changing back_, she realized, watching in silence as the creature bent over double. _It's over_.

"Figures," Gohan said. "I guess that's it for you then."

Cell seemed apoplectic with rage. "No..." it spluttered. "I won't accept this!"

It threw back his head and roared.

Chiyo expected the monster to attack Gohan again, but it didn't move. Instead its body began to bloat, almost like it had eaten too much.

The small girl's expression and thoughts mirrored the other Z fighters'.

_What on Earth is Cell doing?_

Chiyo stared.

Cell was now twice the size it had been just a few minutes ago; it looked like a grotesque balloon.

"Everybody say goodbye!" it gurgled. "I'm going to self-destruct in sixty seconds! I'll die…but so will you! The whole Earth will go with me!"

_One minute!_

Chiyo felt her knees weaken and she had to struggle to keep on her feet. It _was_ over - but it was they who had lost.

_Gohan, why did you play with Cell? _she thought, too tired to be in hysterics about the situation. _Now everyone's going to die because of you!_

"Thirty more seconds!" Cell shouted triumphantly. It was now the size of a house.

"Now what?" Kuririn said. "We have to do something!"

Piccolo shook his head. "It's no use. There's nothing that can be done."

"Twenty more seconds! Ha ha ha ha!"

Gohan sank to his knees.

"It's my fault," Chiyo heard him cry. "I…I should have finished him right away!"

"Ten more seconds!"

Chiyo tried to stand up straight, but her courage failed her. She was suddenly aware of her father glancing over his shoulder at the rest of the group. His face, though bloodied, was smiling.

"I've been thinking," he said, "and I can't come up with any other way to save the Earth." He put two fingers to his forehead and waved. "Bye, guys."

The small girl stared at him, unsure what he was going to do. Goku looked at his daughter and his lips formed three words. Then he was gone, only to reappear in front of Cell.

"Goku!" Kuririn shouted.

But Goku vanished, taking Cell with him.

There was a chorus of cries from the group, but they fell on deaf ears. The battlefield was silent and empty before them. A cold wind blew over the bare rock, chilling the fighters.

Then Goku's and Cell's chi vanished.

"He's gone," Piccolo muttered. "Goku's chi is gone."

Chiyo sat down very hard. She now understood, too late, what her father had done.

_He's dead._ Her fists clenched on her lap. _It's Gohan's fault._

She would never forgive him - _ever_.

All around Chiyo the Z fighters were grieving in their own way, but the small girl was lost in her own world. It wasn't until a few minutes later that Chiyo recalled the words Goku had said to her before he went – _I love you._

"What are you going to do with that machine?" Vegeta snapped, startling her. "Destroy it if it's still functional!"

"B-but she's a person…"

Chiyo scrambled to her feet, but a sudden rush of wind almost bowled her over.

Then an all too familiar chi appeared.

"That chi is..."

"It...it can't be...!"

A billowing cloud of smoke and dust had gathered behind the group. As they watched in mounting fear, a white hand appeared out of the cloud. Chi gathered on the index finger and fired.

The beam was heading straight for Chiyo.

The small girl closed her eyes against a wave of despair, anger, and fear. She knew there was no use trying to dodge it.

The chi blast hit her directly in the chest. Chiyo didn't feel any pain. She felt...light, airy; her half-open eyes noted the horrified faces of her friends, and she vaguely heard a boy's voice screaming her name. Why were they worrying? She felt fine...

Her eyes closed. She felt...tired.


	42. A Nightmare Reborn

**Chapter 42 - A Nightmare Reborn**

Chiyo and Trunks fell, their blood mingling and spattering the ground in a fountain of red. They had both been skewered through the chest by a beam of chi from the dust cloud.

Kuririn, Tenshinhan, and Yamcha stared in horror at the fallen fighters; the boy from the future who had risked his life to make their future better; and the sunny-tempered six-year old girl.

Piccolo and Vegeta gaped at the cloud of dust that was slowly dissipating. Gohan was staring at his sister, eyes wide as saucers. The scream that had burst from him moments ago had faded; he seemed unable to speak.

"Who did I hit?" said a familiar voice, and the dust cleared. Cell stood, back in its perfect form, with bolts of electricity crackling around its Super Saiyan-like aura. It noted the bodies strewn across the ground and smiled. "Trunks...and Son Chiyo. Good."

"W-why...?" Yamcha muttered. "Why is it alive?"

"You seem surprised. I was too - quite a stroke of luck on my part." Cell smiled. "There's a small cluster of cells in my head. It makes up my "core". If that cluster isn't destroyed, my body can go on regenerating, even if only microscopic pieces remain. When I self-destructed, my core was unharmed. I really hadn't counted on regenerating. I was lucky." It folded its arms and the smirk grew wider. "Even better, now I'm complete without Eighteen. And I've powered up - like Son Gohan. It must have been my Saiyan cells - a boost in power after a brush with death. I've even learned to teleport like Son Goku - so I've come back more perfect than ever." Cell flexed its arms lazily. "Son Goku didn't defeat me at all. He just made me better."

"Little girl! Little girl, can you hear me?"

A gentle nudge made the small girl roll over and murmur sleepily.

"Little girl, wake up...what am I doing? I don't get paid enough for this."

This time, a hard poke in the ribs made the girl yelp and bolt upright. Her dark eyes fixed on the blue-skinned man before her with a bewildered expression. "Huh? Who are you?"

"Hmph!" the man said, straightening his white shirt. "About time you woke up. You can't just sleep here. You dead people have rules to abide by, too!"

"Dead?" the girl repeated stupidly. "B-but I can't be dead!"

"Afraid so," the man replied bluntly, pointing to the gold circle hovering above her dark head. "You've got the halo and everything. Can't imagine why you have your body, though - only heroes get to keep their bodies."

Dead.

She was dead.

Chiyo backed away from the man. It couldn't be true...could it?

Then she remembered. Cell had shot a chi blast at her - _through_ her - and someone else...was it Trunks?

She was too tired and too upset over her father's death - and now her own, so Chiyo did what a normal child would do: cry.

"No! No!" she wailed. "I want my Mama! I don't _wanna_ be dead!_ It's not fa-a-a-ir!_"

The man stared at the small girl; he had never had to deal with an embodied spirit before, and certainly not one that made such a fuss.

"Erm…don't cry, little girl," he said, patting her on the shoulder awkwardly. "We'll go find your mother. Is she dead too?"

That only made the girl cry harder. He scratched his head, thinking for a moment. What should he do? There were other spirits to get sorted by King Enma; he couldn't just let the child cut in line because she still had her body. He decided the first thing he had to do was stop her from making such a noise - before he got fired.

"Don't cry," he said at an attempt at kindness, and patted her on the shoulder again. "Look - erm, what's your name?"

The girl gulped down the rest of her sobs.

"S-son Ch-Chiyo," she said shakily.

"Okay, Miss Chiyo, um...where are you from?"

"Four-thirty-nine-east-district-Mount-Paozu," Chiyo parroted.

"Er…what planet is that on?"

"Earth, sir."

Earth! No wonder the kid was crying. He had been cataloguing deaths from Earth all day. Some kind of trouble there...it seemed to be the centre of trouble in the North Galaxy in the last hundred years.

"What's your name, mister?" Chiyo asked, tugging on the man's navy pants.

"Hogosha. Now, what can I do, what can I do?" The man began to pace up and down, muttering to himself. "Yes, I'll have to take her to King Enma...or maybe the boss would be angry if I let her cut in line...but I can't leave her by herself, can I? Oh, how did I get into this mess?"

"Mister?"

Hogosha glanced down at the girl. Her eyes were red but she seemed to be considerably cheered up. "Hmm? What?"

"I'm hungry. Is there food around here?"

"You can't worry about that now!" Coming to a decision, Hogosha seized the girl's hand and began to walk towards King Enma's office, weaving in and out of the waiting disembodied spirits. "I'll take you to King Enma. Yes, yes, he'll know what to do. He - "

Chiyo felt a familiar chi suddenly appear. She twisted around in Hogosha's grip and her eyes widened, unable to believe what she was seeing.

"Hiya!" Goku said cheerfully, waving at her. Spirits brushed past his legs, muttering indignantly.

"P-p - " Chiyo stuttered.

"What in the afterlife are you - " Hogosha started, but Chiyo tore herself out of his grip and barrelled into her father's arms.

"Papa," she sobbed. "Papa. It's you."

"Of course it's me, silly," Goku laughed, gently prying off the tiny hands that clung to his neck. "Who else were you expecting?"

"Um, excuse me!"

Father and daughter turned and stared at Hogosha, who was standing impatiently to the side of the long queue of spirits.

"This child has to come with me," the blue-skinned man said brusquely. "She can't wander around here by herself. She has to be catalogued along with the others."

"Who's that?" Goku asked in a whisper.

"That's my new friend!" Chiyo replied cheerfully.

"Oh."

Goku waved at Hogosha. "Hiya! I'm Son Goku."

Hogosha gaped. "You...you're the Son Goku? _The_ Son Goku?"

"Um...yes?"

"Oh! Well, I never." The man adjusted his shirt again and looked at Chiyo reproachfully. "Why didn't you tell me your father was Son Goku?"

"You never asked," she replied, puzzled.

"Yes...well..." Hogosha glanced at the queue of grumbling spirits. "Well, I'd better get back to my job. Your father can take you to King Enma." He coughed awkwardly. "Yes, well, goodbye."

"Bye-bye Mr. Hogosha!" Chiyo called, waving, as Goku ushered her away. "Thank you for helping me!"

Goku took Chiyo by the hand and began to lead her down the path past the line of spirits, who looked like little clouds.

"Who's King Enma?" she asked. "And why do I have to go to him?"

"King Enma is the king of the afterlife," her father explained. "He records all of the dead people and sends them to either Heaven or Hell."

"Which one do you think I'll go to?"

"Neither. I want to ask King Enma if he can let me take you to North Kaiou's planet." Goku scratched his head. "Or where his planet used to be."

"Why?"

"So we can watch the fight with Gohan. I - " Goku stopped abruptly as Chiyo turned white. "Are you okay?"

"My brother's still fighting?" Chiyo said faintly. "Cell's still alive?"

"'Fraid so. But I think Gohan can still beat it." Goku stared straight ahead, his expression impassive. The small girl couldn't tell what he was thinking, but her own thoughts were in turmoil.

They reached the end of the road, which opened up into an enormous room that looked strangely like Gohan's bedroom. Placed in the centre of the room was a desk even bigger than the Son family house. And seated at the desk, on an equally enormous chair, was a gigantic red-skinned bearded man clad in a purple suit.

Chiyo stared at him in amazement.

"This is King Enma," Goku told her in a whisper. "He sees all the dead people before they go to Heaven or Hell."

Chiyo didn't answer - she couldn't take her eyes off the exceedingly odd-looking man, who reminded her of a scarier version of her grandfather. She stared so long that King Enma eventually snapped, "Stop staring at me!"

The small girl blushed bright red. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"King Enma, this is my daughter Son Chiyo," Goku said, giving her a pat on the shoulder.

"Hmm, yes? What of it?" King Enma said impatiently. "I'm busy, Son Goku! Your Cell has caused enough chaos that I haven't slept for the last 48 hours, trying to catalogue all your dead. Hurry it up!"

"Uh, well, I just came to ask if you can give her permission to come with me to North Kaiou's planet. Or...well, you know."

"Yes, I do know. Cell blew it up after _you_ brought him there!"

Chiyo looked askance at her father, who wore one of his usual sheepish grins.

"Well!" King Enma snapped, making the little girl jump. "Yes, go on. Take her. But don't let her run off! The Path of the Snake is not a place for children."

_The Path of the Snake?_ Chiyo wondered, glancing over her shoulder. _Haven't I already been there?_

Suddenly the building vanished, and Chiyo realised that her father was using his Instantaneous Movement technique. Strange-looking places whirled around her in a dizzying array before her feet found solid ground again.

She was standing on a smooth road that curved and twisted away before her. The road, framed by a strange-looking rail, was seemingly set in the middle of a mass of bright yellow clouds. Behind her the road stretched on into the horizon.

"This is the Path of the Snake," Goku said cheerfully. "And this - "

"Son, hurry up!"

He was interrupted by a nasal voice. Chiyo glanced upwards and saw a short, rather bulky figure flying towards them, followed by a monkey.

"That's North Kaiou," Goku finished, and nudged her forward. "Say hi."

Chiyo was uncertain exactly what to say, so she performed the deepest and most polite bow her mother had taught her.

"Hmph," North Kaiou said, his antennae twitching. "She has better manners than you."

Goku scratched his head. "Really? How?"

"Never mind. Now hurry it up - both of you! Before the battle's over!"


	43. Hatred and Destruction's Being

**Chapter 42 - Hatred and Destruction's Being**

Chiyo shrieked.

The picture unfolded in her mind's eye, as clear as if she were actually there. Cell stood calmly near the pit he had created just a few hours ago, smirking. The Z fighters huddled together, their faces covered in dust and pale with fear. Nearby, the bodies of Eighteen, Trunks and, strangely enough, herself; sprawled on the ground.

But that sight wasn't what prompted the scream. Gohan crouched before a prone Vegeta, his face drawn with pain. His left arm flopped uselessly at his side, the burnt and raw flesh oozing rivulets of blood. She had never seen Gohan that hurt before, and despite her anger the sight frightened her.

"It's over," Kaiou said grimly. "There's no way he can continue to fight with that injury."

"No!" Goku snapped, though his face was pale and sweating. "Let me talk to him!"

"Some manners would be - oh, alright. Wait a minute."

Kaiou's brows furrowed behind his tinted glasses, and his antennae began to twitch. "There."

"Hey you!" Goku said, placing a hand on Kaiou's shoulder. "It's too early to give up yet!"

This time, to Chiyo's amazement, Gohan's voice blared seemingly out of nowhere, sounding so close it was as if he were metres away. "Dad! It can't be! Where are you?"

"In the afterlife! Kaiou has given me special permission to talk to you," Goku replied (oblivious to Kaiou's snort of "Special permission, indeed!"). "Do like Cell and launch your strongest _Kamehameha_. If you do that, you'll win!"

Gohan's voice faltered. "B-but...right now, I can't use my arm, and my power is half of normal..."

That was true. Chiyo could feel Gohan's chi even all the way from the Afterlife (despite the fact that she wasn't sure where the Afterlife was precisely).

"Don't worry!" Goku said cheerfully, breaking her reverie. "I'll have fun here with Kaiou!"

"Okay!"

In her mind Chiyo watched Gohan crouch into the familiar stance of the _Kamehameha_; only this time one arm hung paralyzed at his side.

_"Ka...me..."_

"D'you think he can do it, Papa?" Chiyo asked.

"Yeah!" Goku replied; his face was full of pride and love for his son.

_"Ha...me..."_

Chiyo stared at her father, deep in thought. _He's not mad at all_, she realized. _Even though it's Gohan's fault he died..._

_"HA!"_

Cell fired his _Kamehameha_. Seconds later, Gohan followed suit.

_"HA!"_

The chi blasts met in the centre of the battlefield. Chiyo saw the Z Fighters tumble head over heels from the sheer power of the chi, followed shortly by Mr Satan and his companions, all screaming. The ground began to break up around them.

Chiyo could see her brother's good arm shaking with the effort of holding Cell at bay, and his heels digging into the ground as he was pushed back. Still, he held fast.

"Hang in there, Gohan!" Goku said. "You haven't released all of your power yet! Let your power explode!"

Gohan's voice and arm were both shaking now. "I...I'm doing my best! I can't do it...I'm just a useless crybaby after all..."

"What nonsense!" Chiyo snapped, sounding so like her mother that Goku almost lost his concentration. "Let me talk!"

Without bothering to ask permission she seized Kaiou's shoulder and spoke.

"Big brother! It's me!"

Gohan's voice shook harder. "C-Ch-i-y-yo? Is that you?"

"Yes, of course," Chiyo replied crisply, though the affectionate tone made her glow inside. "Listen, Gohan. You _can_ beat Cell. You're holding back."

Gohan began to speak, but she cut him off. "If you're worried about the Earth, don't! The damage can be fixed...that's what the Dragon Balls are for, right?"

"I...I..."

"You can do it, Gohan!" his father said encouragingly. "If you don't, our deaths will be for nothing!"

Suddenly, Cell's chi faltered. Kaiou's vision swung wildly for a moment, trying to see what had happened.

"Vegeta!" he said. "Vegeta hit Cell!"

_He has to do it now! _Chiyo thought. She clung to Kaiou's shoulder so hard he winced. "Gohan!"

"Release it, Gohan!" Goku shouted. "Release _everything!_"

Gohan screamed.

The boy's _Kamehameha_ completely blinded even Kaiou's vision. The white-blue light was so dazzling, even in their minds, that Chiyo could almost feel the ki blast's heat against her cheeks. And in the midst of the confusion, Cell's ki dropped rapidly. She caught a flash of him disintegrating in the blast.

And then he was gone.

Chiyo and Kaiou cried out in unison. Bubbles screamed and hooted in his monkey-language.

Goku was still, but his expression said it all.

---

The Z fighters floated above the massive crater, one of many created throughout the day. Gohan lay in the middle of it, his breath coming in pants. He was crying and laughing at the same time.

"He...he did it..." Piccolo said, staring into the crater.

"He did it!" Yamcha shouted. He would have thrown his hands into the air and danced about like a kid, if he weren't holding Chiyo. Just one of the victims of Cell...but at least she could be wished back.

The Z fighters landed and crowded around Gohan, exclaiming over him in a way that made the boy smile, even if he couldn't get up to see them properly.

"That was incredible, really incredible, Gohan! You did it!"

"I can't believe it - you saved us! All of us!"

"We'll take you straight back to Dende's place, even without the senzu seeds he can heal you."

"I'll take Chiyo," Piccolo said. "Yamcha, you take Gohan. Let's get going."

"Right."

Yamcha handed Chiyo's body to the Namekian, trying not to look at her face, white and waxy and still in death. He hadn't forgotten that she had tried to protect him from the Androids killing him...was it only a few weeks ago? It seemed like forever.

"Come on," he said to Gohan, who was too weak to get up. He lifted the boy as gently as he could and took off with Kuririn and Tenshinhan, flying at top speed. Piccolo joined them a few moments later.

Back at the palace, Dende and Mr. Popo were waiting anxiously for them, having seen what had happened from the lookout. Dende healed Gohan and the Z fighters first, and then Eighteen - who it turned out was still alive.

The Android opened her eyes and sat up, looking about her in bewilderment.

"Watch out, Dende!" Yamcha shouted - he was keeping a rather large distance between himself and Eighteen. "She'll kill you!"

"That won't happen," Kuririn said wearily, realizing that his friends, especially Yamcha, were likely to react with hostility to her.

Eighteen clambered to her feet, looking around her suspiciously.

"This is God's palace," Kuririn explained. "It's okay! Gohan defeated Cell's perfect form."

"Gohan did...what?" Eighteen replied, staring at him.

"That's right!" called Yamcha, who was still several metres away. "He became incredibly powerful, so it's no use trying to kill us!"

"You should thank Kuririn," Piccolo interrupted in his deep voice. "He protected you after Cell threw you up."

Eighteen glanced at Kuririn, who turned beet red. "I-it was nothing," he stammered. "I couldn't just leave you..."

"I got it!" Gohan exclaimed suddenly. "Kuririn likes Eighteen!"

"Don't blurt it out like that!" Kuririn said, cuffing him over the head. "Geez.."

"Don't be stupid," Eighteen snapped, turning her back on them. "You expect me to fall at your feet just like that?"

With that, she dived over the side of the lookout and vanished.

"I can't believe her attitude!" Yamcha burst out. "I'll kick her butt!"

"I don't think you can do that..."

"Beforehand, let's resurrect Trunks and Chiyo," Piccolo said, "and everyone killed by Cell."

"It's okay, Kuririn!" Gohan said, patting his friend on the shoulder. "You don't need a girl. You have friends here!"

"Ah…be quiet…"

---

"Shen Long has been summoned."

Kaiou, Goku, Bubbles and Chiyo stood in the middle of the Path of the Snake. Bubbles and Chiyo were performing an absurdly comical dance on the paved road, while Kaiou and Goku were conversing.

"Chiyo," Goku called. "Come here."

Chiyo trotted over to her father obediently. "Yes?"

"You have to go soon," he said. "Gohan and the others've summoned Shen Long, and they're wishing back everyone who was killed by Cell."

"Well, then we both get to see Gohan, right?"

Goku was not one to lie to his children, although he hesitated for a moment.

"Well," he said. "I've already died once. Do you remember when I told you all about Raditz? When Gohan was four?" He paused again, and Chiyo nodded emphatically. "Well...Shen Long can only bring someone back from the dead if they haven't died before."

The little girl cocked her head to one side. The happy expression that was on her face vanished as she put two and two together.

"But that..."

"Chiyo."

"That means..."

"Chiyo."

"No," she said, her face crumpling. "I don't wanna go if you're not coming too."

"Chiyo," Goku repeated for the third time. "It's for the best. Something that Bulma said made me think. People only come to the Earth and try to destroy it because I'm here. I don't want you and Gohan and Chi-Chi hurt because of me."

"We won't be, I promise," the little girl sobbed. "Please come back with me! Please!"

"Chiyo..." Goku said again, inwardly sighing. He couldn't think of anything to say that would comfort her, so he gently wiped her wet cheeks with his thumb. "Be strong. You have to help your mother with everything now, especially in the next couple of months. And you have to take care of Gohan. I'm counting on you to do this. Will you promise me?"

"Y-yes…"

Chiyo tried to grasp her father, to hug him one last time, but she could not seem to get a grip; she could see the paved road through her hands, and her vision seemed to be getting blurrier and blurrier. Then Goku, Kaiou, Bubbles and the Path vanished into black, and she realised she could feel wind on her face. She opened her eyes. She was lying on the cold stone floor of God's lookout; the sky was dark and there were the shadows of people around.

"_Chiyo!"_

Arms enfolded Chiyo, squishing her in a hug that was even tighter than her mother's. She gasped for breath, while someone else said, "Careful Gohan, or you'll suffocate her." This remark was met with good-natured sniggers.

Chiyo realized the person hugging her was Gohan. Some of her anger creeped back into her mind; she pushed him away, though not roughly, and sat up. Next to her, Trunks was climbing to his feet, looking bewildered.

"What happened?" she asked Gohan, but her voice was drowned out by a terrible, booming sound.

"_Thou hast one wish remaining."_

Chiyo looked upwards and felt her stomach clench. Spiraling away into the sky was a dragon, bigger than any of the dinosaurs she had ever seen. His terrible glowing eyes stared down at the group as he spoke.

"Eek!" she squeaked, and hid behind Gohan. Shen Long reminded her too much of a gigantic lizard; she was afraid of reptiles, though she would rather die than admit it to anyone.

"Can't you bring Son Goku back?" Yamcha called. "We would do anything to bring him back!"

_"Son Goku has already died and been brought back to life,"_ Shen Long replied._ "Ask for another wish."_

_"Everyone, this is Goku!"_

The Z fighters jumped and glanced around frantically.

"Go...Goku?"

_"I'm talking to you from the afterlife. Listen to me."_

Chiyo turned her face away from Gohan. She knew what her father was going to say.

_"...so I'll see you later,"_ Goku concluded. _"You'll die, and then we will meet. Until then, goodbye."_

"Go...Goku!" Kuririn said again. He glanced up into the sky and sighed. "For a dead guy, he's sure happy. I don't feel sad at all."

_"Excuse me."_

Shen Long's booming voice made the fighters glance around again.

_"I have been waiting for thy second wish. Choose it now."_

"Can anyone think of a good wish?" Gohan said.

Piccolo shook his head. "I'm at a loss."

Yamcha laughed. "Well, what about a bad one? Wouldn't it be cool if we were all rich?"

"Why?" Chiyo asked, but Shen Long interrupted again.

_"I shall wait no longer,"_ he boomed. _"Dost thou have a wish or not?"_

"Yes."

Kuririn had spoken. He stepped forward and addressed the enormous dragon directly. "I'd like you to change Eighteen and Seventeen into humans so they can live their life in peace."

_"That wish cannot be granted,"_ Shen Long replied. _"It is beyond my power to do so."_

"Damn it…"

"Why did you wish for Seventeen too?" Yamcha said derisively. "He should be dead."

"He was one of the victims of Cell," Piccolo replied. "It wouldn't be strange if he were resurrected also."

"Well, what about their bombs?" Kuririn asked. "Shen Long, can you take the explosives out of the Androids' bodies?"

_"I can grant this wish."_ Shen Long's eyes glowed. _"It is done."_

"Thank you very much!"

_"You are welcome."_


	44. Kuririn's Wish

**Chapter 43 – Kuririn's Wish**

Shen Long vanished, and the glow that came from the base of his tail dispersed, sending orbs of light scattering in every direction. Chiyo was reminded of when Dende reactivated the Dragon Balls.

"Why did you help them, Kuririn?" Trunks asked.

The fighter shrugged. "I guess...I like that girl."

"You must really like her," Gohan said, grinning.

"It was Dr. Gero who turned her into an Android." Kuririn shrugged again. "She didn't do anything wrong. And Yamcha, sorry you didn't get to ask your wish."

Yamcha burst out laughing. "I was joking! I would never use Shen Long for that purpose!"

Tenshinhan folded his arms and frowned. "Kuririn, why did you take out Seventeen's bomb too? I know you like her, but..."

"Well, uh, I like Eighteen...but don't you think she and her would make a better couple?"

"If this is human love," Piccolo muttered, "I don't understand it."

"Stupid!"

Eighteen suddenly appeared from behind a column several metres away. Chiyo dropped automatically into a fighting stance, remembering the last time she and the Android had met; Eighteen had thrown her into a rock wall.

Gohan grabbed her arm. "Don't, Chiyo," he said. "She's not going to attack you."

"Seventeen is my twin brother!" Eighteen snapped. "But don't think I'm getting soft! I'm not going to thank you for taking out my explosives!" She turned away again, but this time paused and looked over her shoulder at the bemused fighter. "But it was nice of you."

"It was?" Kuririn echoed. "I-I mean, you're not angry?"

"No."

"Well...would you like to join us?"

"No, thanks."

Eighteen flew away, leaving the Z fighters to stare after her.

"Huh..." Chiyo said, scratching her head. "I'm glad I don't have a girlfriend. Do I have to get one, Gohan?"

"No," Gohan said, grinning to himself.

"Kuririn, you're in there!" Yamcha said, grinning widely.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, but she's a girl. There's no telling, but I think you have a chance. Follow my advice and you'll be fine."

"There's no comparison," Piccolo muttered.

"I heard that!" Yamcha said. "At least you're man enough to admit it. Fighting's pretty easy."

The Z fighters erupted into laughter, but it quickly faded as their thoughts turned to the only person who hadn't made it out of the Cell Game.

"I wish Goku was here," Kuririn said finally, voicing their thoughts. "Nobody could let go and laugh like he could."

"Celebrating isn't the same without Goku," Yamcha agreed.

"Let's not be sad." Tenshinhan stared thoughtfully at the ground. "That's not what Goku was about."

Yamcha sighed. "Yeah, you're right."

"Of course. I'm going to be heading home." Tenshinhan grinned at the rest of the group. "We'll probably never see each other again. So have a healthy life..."

"You too."

"Goodbye, Tenshinhan," Gohan said. "Tell Chaozu I said hi."

"Yes. You're the man of the house now, Gohan." Ten smiled at Chiyo. "Take care of him, Chiyo. And Trunks? You will definitely be able to kill those Android back in your time now."

"Yeah!"

"Goodbye."

Tenshinhan left with the Z fighters waving goodbye after him.

"I guess we should get going, too," Yamcha said after Tenshinhan disappeared over the horizon.

"What's your plan, Trunks?" Gohan asked. "Are you going back home right away?"

"I'm going to sleep here tonight, then go back tomorrow."

"Piccolo? Are you living here now?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll visit," Gohan said, "if that's okay with you."

Chiyo watched her brother converse with the other fighters, and she suddenly felt empty. They would have to go home now, and tell the news to their mother...she would cry, and Chiyo knew she couldn't stand more crying...she had already cried enough today.

"Chiyo?"

Gohan was beckoning to her. "Are you ready? Let's go."

Chiyo took a running dive off God's lookout, followed by Gohan, Kuririn, Yamcha and Trunks. She enjoyed the wind rushing through her hair as they flew alongside the long column that connected the tower to Earth, although it was rather cold so high up.

"We'll see you tomorrow morning!" Gohan shouted to Trunks, as he waved. "Goodbye!"

Gohan and Chiyo waved to their friends before heading for home, flying as fast as they could.

"Don't tell Mother that you died, okay?" Gohan called. "She'll be upset enough when we tell her what happened."

"Okay," Chiyo said distractedly. She was still wondering why none of the Z fighters seemed to hold any anger towards Gohan - not even Trunks, who had been killed like she had. Was she wrong to be angry at him - even a little?

_No, I'm not wrong_, she decided. _It_ is _Gohan's fault. I won't forgive him._

The small girl was so deep in thought that the half hour or so it took to get home flew past. She would have gone right past Mt Paoz if Gohan hadn't grabbed her arm.

"We're home, Chiyo," he said teasingly. "Or did you forget already?"

Chiyo shrugged and twisted her hand out of his grip. She landed in front of the Son family house, feeling a definite sense of dread. Now they would have to break the news to Mama...and she knew it wouldn't be easy.

"Mother!" Gohan called as the siblings entered the house. "We're ho - urk!"

A dark-headed blur in a dress had come streaking out of the kitchen and seized Gohan with such force that he was lifted off the ground.

"My babies! You're safe!"

Gyumao came lumbering from the living room, less hysterical than Chi-Chi, but nonetheless beaming widely - though as Grampa always seemed to be smiling, it wasn't much of a difference.

Chiyo readily accepted her mother's hug, although she wasn't much in the mood for affection. She wanted to be alone, away from everybody else's grief, so she could deal with her own.

Gohan began to explain what had happened since they arrived at the Ceru Game. Although Gyumao and Chi-Chi had watched the event on TV, the fighters' chi had broken the camera soon after, and they knew little about the real fight. Chiyo stood silently through her brother's account of the day. By the time he had finished Chi-Chi's dark eyes were filled with tears.

"And that's the whole story, Mother."

Chi-Chi sank to her knees, too weak from the shock to stand. She began to sob into her apron, and Chiyo began to cry in sympathy; the sight of her mother so broken-hearted was too much for her to bear.

"I'm sorry, Mother," Gohan said, patting her on the back awkwardly and glancing at Gyumao; both felt helpless in the face of Chi-Chi and Chiyo's overwhelming grief.

"So he didn't want t' come back," Gyumao said. "What an amazin' man 'e is."

Chi-Chi shook her head, so overcome with sobs that she couldn't speak. Chiyo joined Gohan in patting their mother on the back in an attempt to comfort her; the small girl's tears had dried almost as quickly as they had come; strangely, she didn't feel like crying hysterically anymore.

"Don't be sad, Mother," Gohan said. "This is the way Dad wanted it. Besides, I can feel he's here."

"Chi-Chi, Gohan is right," Gyumao added, gently helping his daughter to her feet. "Goku's always known what's best for everybody."

Chi-Chi dried her eyes on her apron and sighed heavily. "Yes, well...we'll have to get along without him."

"That's the spirit," Gohan replied cheerily. "He'll watch over us. You'll see."

Chi-Chi smoothed back the unruly hair from her son's face. "I'm guessing you'll be hungry, both of you," she said. "I'll begin dinner. Dad, are you staying?"

"For yer cookin'? You bet!"


	45. Life Begins

**Chapter 44 – Life Begins**

"I'm really proud of you, son."

It was the next day, and the Z Fighters, minus Tenshinhan and Chaozu, had come to see Trunks off. Even Vegeta was there, leaning against a tree with the ever-present scowl on his face. Chiyo felt a new kind of respect for the Saiyan however; she had been told by Gohan how Vegeta had attacked Cell when his son had been killed by the monster. Even though the attack was foolhardy it showed that he did care about someone other than himself, and Chiyo didn't dislike him nearly as much as she used to.

Bulma pressed Trunks's hand in hers, and smiled at him.

"Thanks, Mother," he said.

"Be careful."

"Right."

Trunks's time machine was parked on the front lawn of Capsule Corporation; it reminded Chiyo of a fat, yellow spider with a domed head.

"Good luck," Gohan said, grinning at Trunks. "You can definitely beat those Androids now."

"Thanks."

Trunks hopped into the machine and closed the dome. Seconds later a glow surrounded the machine and it lifted into the air. Then it vanished, and the fighters' cries of goodbye died.

"I hope he'll be alright," Bulma said.

"Don't worry, Bulma," Chiyo replied, patting her arm. "You still have Trunks, even if he is a baby."

"Yeah, you're right. But he'll grow into a big, handsome boy. Won't you?"

Trunks's shrieks of baby laughter made the group smile.

"Well," Yamcha said, after a moment, "I guess we'd better go, too."

---

Half an hour later, Gohan and Chiyo arrived back home. Gohan made an escape around the side of the house - apparently he hadn't finished his homework, and Chi-Chi, who was back to her old self, was looking for him. Chiyo went through the front entrance; she had finished her homework so her mother wouldn't worry about it. She stowed her shoes on the pile next to the door and felt a pang of grief as she noticed her father's boots lying haphazardly on top.

Chi-Chi was in the family room, sitting on the sofa poring over a large white book.

"Mama, I'm back," Chiyo said. She clambered up onto the sofa and into her mother's lap, accidentally knocking aside the book. "Sorry."

"How was Trunks?" Chi-Chi asked. "Did he go safely?"

"Yeah." Chiyo glanced at the book curiously. "What're you reading?"

"This? Oh, it's a book full of photographs." Chi-Chi retrieved the fallen book and showed it to her daughter. "These are pictures of your father and I when we got married, just after the Tenkaichi Budoukai."

Chiyo leaned in for a closer look. The first page was filled with pictures of her mother, not much older than a teenager, looking beautiful in a white dress. Her father was with her, looking slightly awkward in a white tuxedo. She laughed. "Papa looks funny in those clothes."

Chi-Chi stroked the small girl's hair back from her forehead. "I looked just like you when I was a little girl, you know."

"Really?"

"Yes." She turned the page. "Here's your brother when he was just a baby."

Mother and daughter spent an hour going through the photo album, laughing over the pictures and reminiscing about the last three years of peace. Finally the last page, full of family photos taken just before May, was turned over, leaving a blank white page to be filled.

"What are you going to put on this page, Mama?" Chiyo asked.

Chi Chi sighed, and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "I'm sure there will be a reason for plenty of photographs soon."

The small girl glanced at her, puzzled. Her mother was gazing at the blank page, one hand tracing the spiral patterns on the book cover. The other was resting on her stomach.

"What do you mean?"

Chi Chi seemed to snap out of her reverie. "Never mind," she said, almost sharply. "It's time for lunch soon, and I'd like some help, please. I'll teach you how to make rice. How's that?"

---

The afternoon dragged on. Chi-Chi had given her children the day off from study; usually this would be motive enough for Chiyo to take her basket and explore the woods for interesting things to decorate her bedroom with - although her room already looked like a forest. However, she just didn't feel like going anywhere.

She knew her father wouldn't approve of her sitting around and sulking, but she couldn't muster up the energy to enjoy life anymore. The house was quiet and empty without Gokuu; his exuberant voice no longer rang through the hallway, no heavy footsteps sounded on the wooden floors, and Chi-Chi did not lift her voice to scold her husband for acting like a child.

It was mid-afternoon when a familiar face popped up at Chiyo's windowsill.

"Chiyo, do you want to go for a walk?" Gohan asked. Gyumao stood behind him, but he was not smiling; his sharp eyes noted the girl's pale face and strained expression.

"No thank you," Chiyo replied dully.

"Why not?" Gohan said. When his sister shrugged, he leaned in further. "It'll do you good. Come on - "

The boy was silenced by a large hand on his shoulder. Gyumao shook his head slightly. "Leave her be."

Gohan shrugged and obeyed, though he wasn't stupid; he noted the changes in his normally happy sister, and resolved to talk to her later.

Gohan and Gyumao returned in the late afternoon with an enormous fish for dinner. Chiyo was still in her room, stretched out on her windowsill.

"Gohan?"

Gohan opened the door to his sister's room and noted the rumpled blankets on the bed, the unopened books on the desk and the pile of clothes near the closet.

Chiyo was stretched out on the windowsill; the wooden sill was just wide enough to accommodate her. She turned to glance at her brother, but didn't smile. "Gohan."

"I want to talk to you," Gohan said, sitting on the bed and patting the spot beside him. "Come here."

Chiyo was about to refuse, but something in her brother's manner reminded her of Gokuu. She clambered obediently onto the bed and studied his face, wondering what he was going to say.

"I know you're sad," Gohan began awkwardly, "about Dad, I mean. But Dad is still here, you know. I can feel his spirit around."

Chiyo's chest tightened, and suddenly she was furious. Not only at Gohan, but at her father, too. Normally she would have confided this to Gohan, as her brother was the person she trusted most in the world. But he was the source of her anger in the first place, so she turned away.

"Don't turn away," Gohan said quietly, almost pleadingly, grasping her arm. "I know I'm not Dad, but you can talk to me. I'm your big brother, right?" When Chiyo didn't answer, he continued. "Dad told me to take care of you and Mother, you know...after he..." he trailed off.

"S'your fault he died," Chiyo muttered.

"What did you say, Chiyo? I didn't hear you."

Suddenly the anger that Chiyo held in check for two days exploded; she struck her brother with an open-handed slap; her fingers raking over his cheek. The gap between their power was large, but the blow took Gohan by surprise. He shot out an arm to stop himself from tumbling off the bed and looked at her, bewildered, touching his red cheek.

"Chiyo_..._" he began.

"Go away!" Chiyo snapped. "It's _your_ fault Papa died! I hate you!"

"Chiyo, don't..." Gohan reached out to his sister, but she resisted his attempt to hug her, struggling and beating her fists against his chest.

"Go 'way," she sobbed, her speech reverting back to the slang she had picked up from the Z fighters. "S'your fault! Go 'way!"

The strong hands trying to placate her fell away. Chiyo scrambled backwards and watched her brother, who was staring at her like she was an alien. Then his face cracked and he started to cry.

"I'm sorry," he sobbed. "It _is_ my fault Daddied! You have every right to hate me - I hate _myself!_"

Chiyo watched her brother warily as he put his dark head into his hands. She had never seen Gohan cry before in her life, let alone cry like this.

"Don't cry, brother," she said hesitantly, patting him on the arm. "I don't really hate you."

At first that wasn't quite true, but as Chiyo said it she realised she didn't hate him. If her father didn't blame Gohan, and the rest of their friends didn't, then she shouldn't. "What's done is done," her grandfather had told her once. Hating Gohan wouldn't bring Goku back.

Chiyo reached out a tentative hand and ran her fingers through the unruly hair that stood up in spikes from her brother's head.

"This is like Papa's," she said.

Gohan glanced at his younger sister, who sat watching him awkwardly. "You don't hate me?" he asked.

"No. Not really."

The boy sighed and wiped his face on his sleeve, feeling slightly abashed. "I'm sorry," he said again. His cheek still stung where Chiyo had slapped him, and she regarded the red marks on his face with a guilty expression.

"I'm sorry I hit you, Gohan," she said. "Stay here and I'll bring some water to you."

Without waiting for a reply, the small girl hopped off the bed and ran from the room.

Gohan leaned back and sighed.

_Dad,_ _I don't know if I can do this_, he thought. _How can I take care of_ _Chiyo_ _when I can't even handle her anger? How can I comfort her and Mother when I can't comfort myself?_

"Gohan, sit up!"

The childish, commanding tone cut into Gohan's thoughts, and he obeyed automatically. Chiyo had returned with a bowl of water and a wet cloth, which she wrung out and used to dab his face gently.

"We'll be okay," she said as she worked, more to cheer up Gohan than herself. "We still have Mama and Grampa, right? And we can get a job. I wanna be a...what do they call them? In the hospitals. Doctors. And I reckon now I'm six I can be one...what do you think?"

Gohan listened to his sister's chatter with a small smile on his face.

_She's right_, he decided. _We'll live. We'll be okay, because he is watching over us…and one day he'll come home.._

_Thanks, Dad. Thanks._


	46. Son Goten

**Chapter 45 – Son Goten**

7th April, 774 A.D.

_Son Gohan saved Earth when he ascended to Super Saiyan level 2 and defeated the nightmare known as Cell. But the price was high - his father Goku lost his life in the battle and decided to stay in Heaven. _

_And so seven years passed on Earth and the family of Son Goku carried on in his absence..._

Son Gohan slammed the door of the Son family home behind him.

"I'm going, Mother!" he called.

The boy who saved the world had grown into a young man. Taller than his late father, his hair was cut short and stood up in wild spikes. He was wearing casual clothes and had a bag slung over his shoulder. But for all his change in appearance, his eyes held the same kindness they always had.

"Wait!"

Ch-Chi appeared, closing the door much softer than Gohan had. She held out a box wrapped in cloth.

"Don't forget your lunch, Gohan," she said. "You don't want to go hungry today, and city food is so expensive."

"Oh. Thanks, Mother." Gohan grinned sheepishly and accepted the box.

"Now make sure to listen to your teachers. And - "

"Gohan!"

The front door crashed open and a teenage girl rushed out.

"Gohan!" she repeated. "Are you going now?"

Seven years had turned Son Chiyo from an inquisitive six-year old to a reserved girl of thirteen. She had allowed her hair to grow from its shaggy mop to resemble her mother's, although shorter.

"Don't slam the door!" Chi-Chi said crossly, frowning. "I've already had to get it repaired twice!"

"I'm sorry, Mother," Chiyo replied contritely.

"I thought you'd be asleep at this hour," Gohan said, grinning at his younger sister. "I'm off to high school now."

"I came to see you off," Chiyo replied. "Have fun."

He laughed. "I'll try. Kinto'un!"

A yellow cloud came floating down from the sky. Gohan hopped on and flew away, waving to his mother and sister.

"Can I have breakfast now, Mama?" Chiyo asked, when he was out of sight. "I'm starving."

"Alright. But wake your brother first."

"But why?" Chiyo groaned. "I can't wait! I'm _so_ hungry...and you made _Gohan_ breakfast this morning!"

Chi-Chi threw her daughter a disapproving look. "Gohan has to get up early so he can get to school on time; you know that. And I don't have all day to make three breakfasts - in fact, you can make your brother lunch today. I have mending to do."

"Okay."

Chiyo followed her mother into the house, tossing her shoes onto the pile next to the front door. In her socks she padded down the hallway and opened the second door on the left.

Two futons were sprawled on the polished wooden floor of the room; both messy, but one empty. A little boy was lying on the bed farthest from the door, the covers tangled around his legs. His flushed cheeks and open mouth indicated he was in a deep sleep.

The girl sighed. _Here we go..._

Chiyo pulled the covers off the bed, letting the boy's legs fall to the mattress with a thump. "Goten."

The boy shivered and rolled over so his backside was in the air. He began to snore.

Chiyo gave the mattress a swift kick. "Hey squirt, get up."

The snoring grew louder.

Chiyo cupped her hands around her mouth and imitated her mother's voice.

"Goten! Breakfast time!"

Immediately Goten shot upright and leapt out of bed.

"Breakfast?" he shouted. "YAY!"

He ran from the room in his underwear, not bothering to get dressed.

"Put some pants on!" Chiyo called as his feet pounded down the hallway.

_Boys!_

By the time she got to the kitchen Goten was halfway through his second bowl of rice, and Chi-Chi was sitting down to eat.

"Where have you been?" she scolded. "Your food is going cold!"

Chiyo glared at the both of them and fell on her breakfast. Even cold it was filling and she finished all five bowls her mother had made for her - a half Saiyan's appetite was large by human standards and Chi-Chi had to cook for three of them.

"What're you doing today, Chiyo?" Goten asked, putting down his third bowl.

"Studying," Chiyo replied dismally. Seeing his crestfallen face she added, "but I have the afternoon off. How about we go fishing?"

"Okay!"

"Goten, you have homework too," Chi-Chi said as she and Chiyo began to clean up. "You promised you'd do it today."

"Yes, Mama_..._"

It took Chiyo and Chi-Chi twenty minutes to wash up and after that Chiyo went to her room to begin her lessons.

_I almost wish I was going to high school with Gohan_, she thought. _At least there are other people to study with._

---

The day wore on. Chiyo studied mathematics and history until lunchtime, when an interruption arrived in the form of a complaining seven year-old.

"Chiyo," he whined, clutching his stomach theatrically. "Mama said you'd make lunch for me. I'm s_tarving!_"

"And I'm busy," Chiyo replied. "Can't it wait?"

"No!"

His sister sighed. "Well, I suppose I can stop for the day. Come on."

She had hardly finished her sentence when her brother left the room and charged down the hallway, feet pounding noisily on the hardwood floor.

_"Chiyo!"_

Chi-Chi appeared at the door, holding a spool of thread and looking very cross.

"Will you tell Goten not to run in the house?" she said. "He's your responsibility for this afternoon. He'll wear out the floor if he keeps charging around like a mad animal!"

"Yes, Mama," Chiyo said wearily.

By the time Chiyo got to the kitchen Goten was pulling out pots and pans haphazardly and singing a children's song.

"_Moshi moshi, ano ne, ano ne, ano ne! Moshi moshi, ano ne - _"

"_Ah so desu ka!_" Chiyo finished, giving her brother a teasing nudge. "I thought you told me last week that you're too old for nursery rhymes?"

Goten shrugged. "Maybe I ain't."

"Maybe I am not," Chiyo corrected.

"Ain't."

She cuffed him over the head gently. "Come on, ratbag, let's get going. Now what do you want - rice balls, _makisushi_, or dumplings?"

Lunch was a messy affair, with more rice going into the children's mouths (or in Goten's case, on his face) than into making rice balls. Eventually the half-Saiyans had their fill, the kitchen was cleaned up, and Goten and Chiyo left the house for the Son family's favourite fishing spot.

They didn't need to take fishing rods, for Goten had been taught to swim at a young age, and Chiyo swam like a fish. The afternoon passed lazily by as they messed around in the water and caught enough enormous fish to make meals for a month.

"Chiyo, can I ask you a question?" Goten said presently, while they were drying off on the bank of the lake.

"Sure, squirt. What is it?"

"What was Dad like?"

Chiyo looked at her brother from the rock she was perched on. Goten's dark eyes were gazing back at her with a mixture of curiosity and eagerness.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

"Brother showed me a photograph of Dad yesterday, and Mama don't say much about him. I wanna know what he was like."

Chiyo hesitated. The death of her father, although seven years ago, was still a raw part of her inside. Although the early days were hard on all of them, her family had learned to live without Goku. Gradually the days turned into weeks, the weeks into months, the months into years. In time Chiyo had come to accept that he would never return, but sometimes she missed her father terribly.

"Please, Chiyo?" Goten pleaded.

Chiyo slid off the rock, hoisted a fish onto her shoulder and took her brother's hand in her own. They began to walk back through the forest that would lead to their home.

"Dad was a hero," she said finally after a few minutes of silence. "Not like the people in those silly TV shows you watch, but a real hero. He was..."

She paused and tried to think of the words to describe her father. "He was Son Goku. That's all I can really think of."

"But that's only his name," Goten said, puzzled. "I don't understand."

Chiyo ruffled his dark hair affectionately. "You would if you met him."

"Do you miss him?"

"Yes, I do," she replied quietly. "I miss him a lot."

---

By the time Goten and Chiyo got back home, the sun was setting. They got through the door with difficulty; the fish they had caught were rather large and more than a few fish scales left a trail from the entrance into the house.

"We're back, Mama!" Goten called, lugging his fish into the kitchen. There was a pause, then a gasp of delight. "Gohan, wow! You look so cool!"

_Cool?_ Chiyo wondered, following him into the kitchen. _What on Earth - _

Gohan was in the kitchen, grinning at Goten, who was exclaiming over him. He was wearing one of the most ridiculous-looking costumes Chiyo had ever seen; a black suit underneath a green tunic with a red cape, white boots and a hat that reminded her of a futuristic garbage can. She stared at him wordlessly, struck speechless by the incredible nerd her brother was.

"Hey, sis," Gohan said with a smile as she came in. "Bulma made it for me so I can fight crime in Satan City. What do you think?"

"I thought it was called Orange Star City," Chiyo said, deliberately avoiding the question. "How was high school?"

"Huh? Oh. Fine. I made a few friends...one of them is Mr. Satan's daughter herself. Can you believe it?"

"Mr. Satan has a child, huh?" Chiyo asked, hauling her fish onto a spare bench. "Goten, put your fish here, please. Is that a good thing or bad thing? Not you," she added to Goten, who looked confused.

"A good thing, I guess. Her name is Videl. She seems nice."

"Chiyo, help me please," Chi-Chi said from the stove, where the rice was bubbling away happily. "Gut the fish while I'm cooking. We can salt it later."

"I'm ahead of you, Mother!"

The rest of the night passed in relative normalcy; Chiyo helped her mother clean up after dinner and cut the fish up to be salted and stored away. Her guilty conscience prompted her to finish the mathematics she had ditched before lunchtime.

Gohan and Goten were still up before she went to bed, but she lay awake for a long time thinking about the past seven years. She was still awake to hear Gohan and Goten getting ready for bed, and her little brother's question:

"Gohan, what was my Dad like?"

Chiyo sighed. _I wish Papa was still here_, she thought. _Then Goten wouldn't have to ask._


	47. Blackmailed!

**Chapter 46 - Blackmailed!**

Chiyo got up at dawn the next day to train. Unlike Gohan, seven years of peace had not seen her slack off in her training, though these days her studies kept her busy for most of the week. She fought for the fun of it, for the discipline, and to keep herself fit. Even as a young girl, experience had shown her that enemies could appear at any time, especially when you least expect it.

So the teenager left the house with her lunch wrapped in a cloth, intending to stay out all day.

Hours passed with Chiyo working tirelessly, only stopping to eat lunch. She began to work on her chi techniques while in Super Saiyan transformation; discipline had taught her full control of her power, though she had not ascended like Gohan had.

Chiyo gathered chi in her fingertips and aimed for the only pillar of rock left standing in the area. The ki grew in red points of light on her fingers and she snapped her wrists forward.

"Chiyo!"

Chiyo tried to stop the blast but it was too late; the chi laced towards Goten, who had appeared out of nowhere.

"NO!" she shouted, leaping forward. "Goten!"

But unexpectedly Goten's chi flared; Chiyo covered her face as the blast blazed into the nearby lake and set up a wave that showered them both in algae and small fish.

Goten was standing where he had been seconds ago, but his chi was soaring; his golden hair stood on end and his eyes were turquoise.

_A Super Saiyan?_ Chiyo thought, gaping at him. _B-but...he hasn't had any training!_

Despite her surprise, she stumbled forward and caught Goten by the shoulders, almost pulling him over.

"Are you alright?" she gasped. "Goten? Are you hurt in any way?"

"No!" the boy replied cheerfully. "I kicked it away."

"Good, but...you - how did you become a Super Saiyan?"

"What?" Goten replied, looking confused. "Whaddaya mean?"

Chiyo guided her brother's hand up to his head and patted his hair.

"Oh!" he said. "So I did it again, huh?"

"Again?" Chiyo said. "How long have you been doing this?"

She and Goten began to pick up the fish that littered the lakeshore and tossing them back in.

"I don't remember," the little boy replied, picking bits of algae out of his hair.

"Does big brother know?"

"No, but Mama does."

Chiyo watched Goten out of the corner of her eye as he tipped a particularly large fish back into the lake.

_Super Saiyan already_, she thought. _Maybe I should..._

She had become a Super Saiyan herself at about Goten's age, but only a year of the harshest training in the Room Of Spirit and Time had seen her transform - and even then, it took her another four months after the Cell Game for her to learn how to control it. And here was Goten, seven years old and already transforming effortlessly. If she wasn't so surprised she would have been jealous.

"Goten," Chiyo began, "how would you like it if I taught you a few things?"

The boy's face transformed into one big smile.

"Yeah!" he said. "I wanna start now!"

She laughed. "Enthusiasm is the best attitude for learning, little brother. Alright. Let's start."

Goten's first lesson lasted into early afternoon, by which time he was beginning to look tired. Chiyo carried him home, despite his protests, but to her surprise (and Goten's disappointment) Gohan was not home yet.

"I don't know where he is," Chi-Chi said impatiently, "but I have an errand for you to run, Chiyo. Can you take this pot to Bulma for me? I borrowed it from her a while ago, but haven't been able to return it yet."

Considering that Bulma's home was halfway across the continent this was not surprising. Chiyo accepted the pot with a nod.

"I wanna go too!" Goten said instantly.

"No," his mother replied firmly. "This is not a social call. Chiyo, you'll be back before dinner, won't you?"

"Yes, Mother." Chiyo ruffled her little brother's hair. "Don't pout, squirt. You can see Trunks another time...in fact, I'll take you to see him at the end of the week, okay?"

"Okay!"

---

Capsule Corp was situated in the centre of West City, a sprawling metropolis that had changed very little in the last seven years. Chiyo was a regular visitor to the Brief family and found the building within no time, landing on the lawn out front and startling a couple walking by.

The door was opened by Mrs Brief, who looked exactly the same as she always did.

"Why, Chiyo, I hardly recognised you!" she said in her high-pitched voice, smiling. "Come in. What's that you got there?"

"Mother wanted me to return this pot to Bulma," Chiyo replied, giving it to Mrs Brief. "Is Trunks around?"

"Why yes, he's out back in the laboratory with Bulma. Do give my regards to your mother, won't you?"

"I will, Mrs. Brief. Thank you."

Chiyo found her way to the laboratory further in the building.

"Hello!" she called, sticking her head in the door. Bulma, Trunks, Vegeta and to her surprise, Gohan were standing around chatting. He was wearing his ridiculous costume, but the helmet was replaced with a white bandanna and sunglasses. She wasn't sure whether it was an improvement or not.

"Chiyo!" Trunks shouted, charging toward her with the same carelessness Goten displayed.

"Well! Who's this big kid?" Chiyo said teasingly, giving him a light punch on the shoulder. "I swear, you get bigger every time I see you!"

"I could say the same for you," Bulma said, hopping off the motorbike she was working on and wiping her hands on a rag. "You're growing like a weed, Chiyo. What is Chi-Chi feeding you?"

Chiyo grinned. "Just the usual."

Bulma pushed her hair out of her eyes. "Did Gohan tell you the news yet? He's going to be participating in the Tenkaichi Budoukai this year."

"Why?" Chiyo asked her brother. "You never fight anymore, so why enter this year?"

"Videl is making me," Gohan said gloomily. "She says if I don't she'll tell everyone I'm the Great Saiyaman."

"The Great Tyre-what?"

"Saiyaman."

"I see." Chiyo rolled her eyes inwardly. _Gohan's such a nerd sometimes._

"Are you going to the Tenkaichi Budoukai too, Chiyo?" Trunks asked.

"I don't know," Chiyo said. "If I can get Mother's permission."

"You should go," Vegeta interrupted. "The weaklings participating in the Budoukai would be no challenge...unless you had to fight me, that is."

Seven years of peace had cultivated a grudging respect between Vegeta and Chiyo – so instead of feeling insulted, she smirked. "Then we'd have to see, wouldn't we?"

"Is that a challenge?" Vegeta replied, raising an eyebrow. Chiyo saw the hint of a smirk playing around his mouth and knew she had caught his interest.

"It might be!" she replied cheekily.

"So you and Dad and Gohan are going to fight?" Trunks said, grinning. "That would be awesome!"

_"I'm going too!"_

The voice came out of nowhere. The group started violently and glanced around them.

_That voice,_ Chiyo thought, _Is that...?_

"Dad?" she said tremulously. "I-Is that you?"

_"Yes, Chiyo, it's me. Long time no see everyone!"_

"How have you been?" Gohan called, grinning widely.

Chiyo swallowed. Hearing Goku's voice again after seven years brought back a lot of memories; memories she wasn't sure she'd like to hold onto.

"Are you really coming?" Chiyo interrupted. "Are you coming to the Budoukai?"

_"Yes! I asked Uranai Baba to be there for the day of the Budoukai. You are going with Vegeta and Gohan, right? I'll definitely be there!"_

"Cool!" Gohan shouted, pumping a fist in the air. "Wow!"

"This is excellent," Vegeta said, smirking. "Everyone be ready...I've become pretty strong."

_"Me too! Well, let's all meet at the Budoukai."_

Silence fell. Gohan and Bulma were both looking excited, Vegeta smug, Chiyo thoughtful, and Trunks confused.

"Who was that?" Trunks asked Chiyo. "That voice?"

"My father."

"But...isn't he dead?"

"Let your mother, Goten and Kuririn know about this!" Bulma interrupted, cutting off Chiyo's reply.

"Okay," Gohan said. "We'll go over there now."

"Great. We'll see you at the Budoukai."


	48. A Hero's Return

**Chapter 47 - A Hero's Return**

_7th May, 774 A.D._

The month that followed Chiyo and Gohan's contact with Goku passed quickly. To Chiyo's disappointment (and slight annoyance) Gohan took over Goten's training, explaining that he had promised he'd teach him and Satan Videl how to fly. Although Chiyo never met Videl due to her own training schedule, she clearly saw the results of Gohan's training on their younger brother.

"I've ridden galactic slugs faster than this vehicle!"

Vegeta's rough voice cut through Chiyo's thoughts. They were all flying in a Capsule Corp plane to Papaya Island - Bulma, Yamcha, Kuririn, Eighteen and little Marron, Gohan, Gyumao, Vegeta, Chi-Chi, Kamesen'nin and Chiyo. For twenty-five years, Kamesen'nin had said, the Tenkaichi Budokai had been held on Papaya Island. Obviously, this year was no exception.

"So, is Son really going to show up?" Bulma asked, glancing away from the plane's controls.

"He will," Gohan replied confidently. "I know it."

"When's that boy ever let us down before?" cackled Kamesen'nin. "Course he'll be there!"

"But he won't recognise Kuririn with that haircut," Gohan said teasingly.

"Hey! What's wrong with my hair?!"

"Are you fighting too, Yamcha?" Chi-Chi asked over Gyumao's booming laughter.

"Nah. I'd just embarrass myself!"

Chiyo stared out of the window and blocked out the chatter of her family and friends.

_I wonder what Papa will be like_, she thought. _Has he changed like I have? Or will he be just like I last saw him?_

It had been seven years since Chiyo had seen her father. The parting had been painful; although she had been only six years old, some of that raw emotion still lingered as a dull ache in her throat.

"Chiyo! Will you pay attention?"

Chiyo looked away from the window. Gohan was frowning at her.

"Man," he said. "I think the pork buns on your head are blocking your ears."

Goten and Trunks began to snigger. Chiyo scowled at her siblings and touched her hair, pulled into two knots on either side of her head. Pork buns on her head, indeed! Why were brothers so stupid?

"Anyway," Gohan continued. "I think we should all - and this goes for you and Trunks, Goten - I think we should agree not to turn Super Saiyan during the Budoukai."

"What are you talking about?" Vegeta snapped. "What for?"

"It's a good idea," Bulma interrupted, glancing over her shoulder. "If anyone recognises you from the Cell Game you'll be harassed by the journalists. Then I'd have them all over my front yard!"

"Yeah, then it would happen to me in school," Gohan said.

Chiyo shrugged. "Okay, that's fine. I doubt anyone could find my front yard, but I don't want that kind of attention."

"I don't see the problem," Vegeta grumbled. "When the journalists come I'll just destroy them!"

"You can't really do that," Chiyo replied, hiding a smile behind her hand.

"Vegeta, would you behave?" Bulma snapped.

"Fine! No Super Saiyan. Of course, I'll still win."

Trunks leaned over the front seat. "We're fine with it."

Kuririn laughed. "That's good news for me!" he said happily. "Maybe I can get a chance now. Fighting a Super Saiyan is like trying to fight a steamroller with your hands ti -"

"Quiet!" Vegeta growled.

"Er...sorry..."

An island, glittering in the sunlight, appeared below. There were other planes and even aircars nearby, all heading toward it.

"Is that Papaya Island?" Chiyo asked, staring out the window.

"Yeah, that's it." Bulma peered over the cockpit. "I hope I can find a place to land, it's so busy. I've never seen it this crowded before."

"Guess I'd better complete my outfit!" Gohan said, rummaging through his bag. He pulled out the white bandanna and glasses Chiyo had seen him wearing a month earlier.

"Are you really going to fight in that?" Kuririn asked.

"Yeah! Don't I look stylish?"

"Um...sure."

_Maybe I should tell Gohan how silly he looks_, Chiyo thought, following the group off the plane. She suddenly remembered his remark about her hair. _Or maybe not._

The Budokai grounds seemed more like a large carnival than a tournament. People of all ages, shapes and sizes mingled around brightly coloured stalls selling everything from shaved ice to soft toys to goldfish-catching.

"Strongest under the heavens, I challenge you!"

Chiyo glanced behind her. The person who had spoken was a man in a bowler hat addressing a small crowd near the outer wall of the Budoukai complex. A taller man stood nearby, wearing a smirk and a pair of boxing gloves.

"I challenge you," the man in the hat shouted, "to strike down the future champion of today's Tenkaichi Budokai!"

"I'll be back in a second, Mother," Chiyo said, and disappeared.

"What?" Chi-Chi said, twisting around. "Chiyo? Where'd she go?"

"Don't worry, Mother," Gohan replied. "She's probably gone to look at the stalls. She'll be back."

"Yeah, the Budokai's a lot bigger than it used to be," Bulma commented, frowning at the crowds of people wandering by. "I hate big crowds."

Chiyo approached the small crowd gathered around the man in the bowler hat.

"Will nobody challenge my fighter?" he shouted. "Fifty zeni to the person who can knock him down!"

He was met with apprehensive murmurs and glances at the fighter's bulging arms.

"I will," she called.

The crowd fell silent, although the mutterings increased in volume as Chiyo came forward, punctuated by the occasional snort.

The man in the hat's eyebrows shot up. "Y-you will challenge my fighter?"

"Yeah."

He and the fighter exchanged a bewildered look.

"I do not fight leetle girls," the fighter said in a stilted accent.

"Er - that's right," his manager said, fiddling with his hat. "We're challenging the Budokai participants, not the bystanders."

"I am a Budokai participant," Chiyo said patiently, although the patronizing tone of his voice set her teeth on edge.

The manager and fighter exchanged words for a moment before shrugging.

"We have a challenger!" the manager cried to the small crowd, waving his hat. "A girl claiming to be a Budokai participant has challenged my fighter!"

There were some murmurs of trepidation as Chiyo stepped into the ring made by the crowd.

"She's only a kid!" someone protested. "You can't fight a kid!"

Chiyo watched as the fighter began to shadow box.

"Can we start?" she asked. "My mother will be missing me soon."

The fighter threw a startled glance at her, shrugged, then leapt for her, his fist pulled back to punch. Chiyo ducked under his lunge and executed a smooth flip that had him crashing to the ground.

For a moment there was absolute silence. The crowd, the fighter and his manager stared at Chiyo in surprise.

"Er..." the manager coughed."Well, er..."

The girl offered her hand to the fighter, but he pushed it away and clambered to his feet, looking angry.

"You treecked me," he said sullenly. "It was not a fair fight."

"Then who else put you on the ground?" Chiyo said impatiently. "Can I have my zeni now, or do I have to knock you out as well?"

"Take it," the manager said, thrusting the pouch at her. "I don't want any trouble. I don't even know what a kid like you would want with fifty zeni, anyway."

Chiyo glanced over her shoulder at him and grinned. "I want to buy ice-cream for my little brothers," she said.

Leaving the bewildered people behind, Chiyo began to make her way through the crowds, tucking the pouch of zeni into her sash. She focussed on Gohan's chi - his was the largest of their friends, and easier to find. But with Gohan were two other chi's she recognized. Piccolo - and Goku.

Chiyo broke into a run. _Papa!_

She rounded the corner at a headlong pace. She could see Gyumao's massive head and shoulders towering out of the crowd and used him as a beacon, shouldering through a family of four to get to the group.

Chi-Chi was the first to spot her daughter.

"Chiyo!" she said crossly. "Where have you been? You should know better than to run off like that, young lady!"

Goku turned his head at the name, his arms still wrapped around his seven year old son.

"Chiyo?" he said, confused. "Where is she?"

"There," Goten replied, pointing.

Goku followed the direction of his gaze. Nearby, Chi-Chi was scolding a slim, dark-haired girl with her hair pulled back in buns.

"That's my big sister," Goten said. "Don't you know what she looks like, Daddy?"

Goku didn't reply. He was staring at the girl, who turned toward him with a surprised expression.

The last time Goku had seen his daughter had been seven years ago, when she was wished back by the Z fighters after being killed in the Cell Game. It was not a happy parting; the little girl had been only six years old, too young to understand death and what it meant. Then she had been a curious, talkative kid with a mop of black hair. The girl standing before him, with her hair long enough to be tied up and the top of her head in line with her mother's shoulder couldn't be Chiyo. She wasn't little enough.

Chiyo took a few steps toward Goku, who put Goten down and turned toward her. They regarded each other silently for a moment, unaware that everyone had gone quiet.

Chiyo wanted to rush to her father and hug him, but a sudden wave of shyness made her hesitate.

_He's Papa_, she urged herself. _He's not some stranger. Go and hug him._

"Goku."

Uranai Baba had broken the silence. Goku gave Chiyo another glance before turning toward the old crone. The moment was gone, and Chiyo turned away to find the face of her younger brother grinning up at her.

"Daddy is great!" he enthused. "He let me hug him!"

"That's good," Chiyo replied, ruffling his hair. She and Goten joined Trunks as the group began to wander down the paved pathway.

"Are you okay?"

Chiyo glanced up at Gohan, who had appeared at her side.

"Yes," she said, her expression closed.

Gohan looked quizzically at her, but didn't press the matter. Chiyo was stubborn as their mother, and preferred to deal with her feelings in solitude.

"Next, please."

They were at the registration desk. Two bored-looking Budokai officials were taking down names and addresses of the participants.

"The Great Saiyaman," Gohan said, giving the officials a wide smile.

"I'm sorry, what was that name?" one asked.

"The Great Saiyaman."

Chiyo rolled her eyes. Goten and Trunks noticed and began to snicker.

"Who's that?" Goku asked, scratching his head.

"It's my superhero name!" Gohan said enthusiastically. "It's cool, right?"

"Uhh...sure!"

"Next please!"

Trunks brushed past Chiyo and approached the desk. "Brief Trunks," he said.

The man took down his name and smiled. "Another for the junior division."

_Junior division?_ Chiyo thought, scowling. She edged closer to listen, trying to look casual.

"It's for the under 15's," one of the officials was explaining. "We can't have children matched up with adults, can we? That would hardly be fair."

Chiyo inched backwards, slipping behind Vegeta as the officials registered Goten, Piccolo and Kuririn. She waited until the rest of her friends had registered and were moving away before approaching the desk.

"Name?"

"Son Chiyo," Chiyo said. "Age 16."

"Another Son, eh?" the man said. "Are you all from the same family?"

"Yes."

The man took down her name, glanced at her face once, and frowned. "You look a little young to be 16."

"Of course I'm 16," Chiyo said quickly, feeling her cheeks grow warm. "Why would you say that? I'm definitely 16."

"Well, okay."

Chiyo breathed a sigh of relief and ran to join her family and friends.

"All fighters please report to the qualifying arena." A voice issued from the numerous speakers placed around the Budokai grounds. "This is your last call."

"That's our cue," Goku said cheerfully.

Chiyo felt herself squished in a hurried embrace.

"Good luck, boys - and girl," Chi-Chi said. "Do the best you can!"

"I'm sure one of us will win," Goku replied, oblivious to Vegeta's scowl at the words.

Chiyo felt her excitement begin to mount as the group split, the fighters heading to the qualifying arena.

The Budokai was about to begin.


	49. Preliminaries

**Chapter 48 - Preliminaries**

Chiyo weaved through the crowds of people milling around the area, trying to keep up with her group. The Tenkaichi Budokai was nothing like her mother and Kuririn had described. It looked more like a festival than a tournament.

Goku, Gohan and Kuririn were deep in conversation when Chiyo brushed past them.

"Goten," she called.

Goten and Trunks, who were walking ahead, turned.

"Here," Chiyo said, piling zeni into her brother's hand. "Use this if you get hungry. Don't spend it all on sweets."

"Thanks!"

"Why don't I get any?" Trunks grumbled.

Chiyo raised her eyebrows. "Your parents are rich. Don't they give you an allowance?"

"Yeah, but Mother didn't give me money to spend today."

"That's because she knew you'd spend it on rubbish." Chiyo deposited some zeni into Trunks's hand. "So use it wisely, boys - or else!"

A nearby loudspeaker crackled and a disembodied voice blared from it.

"All Tenkaichi Budoukai participants report to the qualifying arena. The preliminaries will begin in ten minutes."

Chiyo felt a hand on her shoulder. Goku stood over her, grinning.

"Are you excited?" he asked.

"Yeah."

They began to walk. The paved road opened into a courtyard ahead. People whom Chiyo assumed to be fighters - mainly men, she noted - stood in small groups or walked past casually.

"You've been training, haven't you?" Goku continued, as they walked. "Your chi's more than tripled since I last saw you."

"Yeah, Mother's been less strict in the last few years," Chiyo replied, turning to stare curiously at a stocky fighter in a gaudy costume. "She even let me and Gohan train Goten. You know - "

"Hey there, can you tell us where you're from?"

Suddenly, Chiyo was staring down the lens of an enormous camera, wielded by a man wearing a backwards cap. A blonde woman in a suit had her microphone thrust under Goku's nose and was waiting eagerly for his response. Chiyo back-pedalled until she was sheltered by her father's body - she did _not_ like cameras.

"I'm from heaven," Goku replied, pointing to the sky. "Lord Enma granted me permission to come back to Earth for a day to compete in the Budokai."

Chiyo stifled a giggle as the news crew stared at him in bewilderment. What her father said was true, sure enough, but she knew they would never believe it.

Finally the woman laughed.

"That's - that's very funny," she said.

"Uhh...it's not a joke, ma'am."

But the woman didn't seem to hear him. Bringing her microphone even closer, she said, "What a cute accessory! Where did you get it?"

"This?" Goku pointed at the golden halo floating above his head. "It's not an accessory, ma'am. You get this when you d-"

BOOM!

The camera exploded. The news crew shrieked and covered their eyes against the smoke.

"Idiot!" snapped the anchorwoman. "What did you do?"

Goku laughed. "Piccolo hasn't changed!"

Chiyo followed the direction of his gaze. Piccolo was waiting for them at the entrance to the changing rooms, arms folded, scowl in place. She rolled her eyes. I should have known.

"Hurry now, the changing room is this way," said a Budokai official at the door, as the group approached. "The preliminaries are starting soon, so don't be too long."

Vegeta, Trunks and Kuririn slipped into the changing room while the rest of the group waited in the tunnel outside. Chiyo leaned against the wall, watching Goten and Goku laugh together.

_I wonder what I have to do to qualify_, she thought. Some kind of test, most likely - Chiyo knew, without false modesty, that she could pass any test of strength or skill the Budokai officials could give her.

"Sorry for the wait," Kuririn called, appearing from the changing room. Chiyo followed her friends out of the tunnel.

Ahead was another courtyard - however, it was packed with all kinds of people. Some were wearing clothes similar to her friends', some were in regular clothes, and some were wearing ridiculous costumes - and probably had ridiculous names, like her brother.

"Are all these people competing?"

It was Gohan. Chiyo suddenly realised she hadn't seen him in a while; he must have slipped away before they reached the changing rooms.

"Where've you been?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just talking to Videl," he replied, gesturing to a girl who stood beside him. "Videl, this is my sister, Chiyo."

Chiyo studied the girl standing beside him. She wasn't much taller than Chiyo, but she had the stance of a fighter. Her black hair was cropped short.

"Nice to meet you," Chiyo said politely.

"Likewise," said Satan Videl, smiling. Her face, which had previously been wary, almost suspicious, suddenly transformed.

_I can see why Gohan likes her_, Chiyo thought, realising that Videl was scrutinizing her in return. _She is pretty._

"It's you!"

Startled, Chiyo glanced up. A blonde man carrying a microphone was approaching the group.

_Oh...not another journalist._

She was equally surprised when Goku and Kuririn both greeted the man enthusiastically.

"And I was starting to think I'd never see you again!" the man said, adjusting his sunglasses. "How long has it been? You haven't competed for a while." He leaned towards Goku and spoke in an exaggerated whisper. "But hey. It was you who beat Cell, right? Come on, I know it!"

Chiyo noticed with interest that her father grinned at the man, but didn't confirm or deny it. It was actually Gohan who had beaten Cell, but there was no need to publicize it, she figured.

"Without you the last few Budokai have been boring," the man continued. "You think you can fight today without blowing up the ring?"

"We'll try," Piccolo said, smirking.

"And that's exactly the kind of attitude this place has been lacking!"

"I'm guessing you're competing in the Budokai, too?"

Chiyo turned back to Videl.

"Yes," she replied. "In the adults' division."

"Adults' division?" Videl replied, raising an eyebrow. "Isn't that for over fifteen's? Gohan told me you were thirteen."

"Uh..." Chiyo felt her cheeks grow warm. "Well, I..."

"You didn't," Gohan said, though he looked about to burst out laughing. "You didn't fake your age to get in."

"Shush!" Chiyo said, scowling at him. "It wouldn't be fair for me to be matched with little kids - besides, I want Goten and Trunks to fight in the junior division. If I had to fight one of them, it'd be no challenge."

"Oh, I don't know," Gohan said, shrugging. "They're pretty strong for their age."

"Yeah, but still..." Chiyo shrugged and turned back to the qualifying arena. A squat little man with a microphone was standing in the centre, conversing with two Budokai officials. "I wonder when they're starting."

"Hey look, it's Mr. Satan!"

"Where? I don't - "

"Over there!"

"Hey, it is him!"

"Mr. Satan! Mr. Satan!"

Chiyo glanced around at the fighters, most of who were starting to cheer. Behind her, a man was standing at the entrance to the qualifying arena.

Mr Satan. Chiyo's mind flashed back to the Cell Game, seven years ago. Yes...he was the man who wanted to fight, the supposed World Champion.

He'd been knocked out of the ring with one blow.

"Yeah!" Satan shouted, pumping his fists in the air. "Line up if you want an autograph from the greatest fighter ever!"

Chiyo snorted.

"Attention, please!"

It was the little man standing in the centre of the arena. She moved closer to hear him over the cheers of the other fighters.

"The preliminaries will now begin," the man said. "One hundred and ninety-four people have entered, but there are only eighteen places available. By the rules, the defending champion, Mr. Satan, will qualify automatically. Therefore, there are seventeen places.

"We will qualify participants by their scores on a punching machine. The seventeen highest scores will henceforth get these places."

"Punch machine, huh?" Kuririn said. "That's new."

Six Budoukai officials appeared, lugging a strange looking machine between them.

"To give us a score to go by, Mr. Satan will have first hit."

"YEAH!" Satan shouted, striking a pose. The fighters - except for Chiyo's group - began to cheer.

"I don't know what's worse," Kuririn muttered. "Him - or his fans."

BOOM!

Every single camera held by the journalists crowding around the arena - which was a lot - promptly exploded. Amidst the chaos, Chiyo turned to grin at Piccolo.

"YAH!"

Satan's fist slammed into the red target attached to the machine. A few numbers flickered on the screen before stopping at a number: 137.

"Incredible!" the squat little announcer cried. "Mr. Satan's score is 137 points! All entries, please form a line after you've been given a number."

"Will all junior division participants please gather here," someone called.

"Okay kids, good luck!" Kuririn said.

"Damn it," Trunks muttered. He and Goten looked extremely put out.

"Remember your training, boys," Chiyo said She ruffled their hair affectionately, ignoring their scowls. "And hold back - we don't want to seriously injure anyone, okay?"

"Okay," they chorused.

"Shouldn't Tenshinhan and Chaozu be here?" Goku asked as the boys left with a Budoukai official.

Kuririn shrugged. "Ten did say we wouldn't see him or Chaozu again."

Chiyo fell in line with the rest of her group, holding a piece of paper with a number on it.

Ten minutes passed, and the number of people slowly filed past and took their turn at the punching machine.

"Next...Eighteen!" the announcer called.

Eighteen approached the punching machine with her usual expression of annoyance. Chiyo heard a few whispers in the crowd as she walked past.

Eighteen hit the machine lightly. The numbers flickered, then blinked: 774.

Chiyo grinned, while the announcer and officials stared.

"Th...there must be something wrong with the machine," one said. Two officials began to check the machine.

"It seems to be out of order," the little announcer said. "Please try again."

Scowling, Eighteen tapped the machine. 203.

"Th..thank you," the man stammered, as she walked away.

"You call that holding back?!" Kuririn protested.

"It's hard to hit that lightly," she snapped back.

Chiyo's group filed out one by one and all, holding back as much as possible, hit the punching machine - although their scores amounted from 190 - 210.

Her name was called and she hit the machine as lightly as possible, hoping she wouldn't break anything.

"209," the announcer said, blinking at her in confusion. "Er...next?"

"Get out of my way!"

Chiyo glanced over her shoulder just in time to see Vegeta punch the machine. As hard as he could.

CRASH!

The machine hit the arena wall in a pile of rubble.

"Aww, Vegeta!" Gohan protested.

Chiyo felt relieved that she had managed to qualify just beforehand.

"Well," she said to Gohan, "looks like you'll be here a bit longer."

Gohan's only reply was a groan of disappointment.


	50. Little Warriors

**Chapter 49 - Little Warriors**

"HELLO! Welcome to the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai!"

There was a roar of sound as the people seated in the arena responded to the announcer's cry.

Chiyo watched the spectacle from a balcony in the arena. Her group - minus Gohan - stood nearby, waiting for the junior division to begin.

"It's amazing how much this place has changed," Kuririn commented. "The crowd wasn't half as big when we last competed."

Chiyo glanced at him, remembering the stories Kuririn had told her about the earlier tournaments, in which he and her father had competed when they were around her age. She wondered how the Budokai had suddenly grown in popularity - though most likely it had something to do with the events that had happened almost seven years ago, to the day.

The announcer was shouting enthusiastically into his microphone, gesturing to the paved walkway leading away from the arena. The junior division participants began to file into the arena when their names and ages were called. They looked to range in age from about five to fifteen years old, most wearing boxing gear, a few in gi, kids of all shapes and sizes and colours.

Then she saw two familiar figures.

"Look," Chiyo said, nudging Kuririn. "There's Goten and Trunks."

Goten and Trunks looked small compared to some of the other kids, but Chiyo knew they could beat all of the participants with little effort. The interesting question was who out of the two boys would win the division?

"Hey Chiyo," Goku said, "Some of these kids look a bit older than you. Why d'you think that is?"

Chiyo felt her cheeks grow warm, but she said nothing, not wanting to lie. Kuririn caught her eye and grinned slyly.

"I don't think Chiyo was entirely honest about her age. Were you, Chiyo?"

Chiyo grinned. "Please don't tell Mother."

Goku laughed. "No challenge in fighting the boys, huh?"

"Maybe if I took them both on." She shrugged. "Besides, Trunks and Goten will give us a good show."

"There were no qualifying rounds for these young fighters," the announcer called, and Chiyo turned her attention back to the arena. "They will test themselves in the ring. Whoever lands out of the ring, stays down for ten counts, is knocked unconscious or forfeits will lose."

Kuririn sighed. "Looks like it won't be fun until Goten and Trunks fight."

---

The hour crawled past. Goten and Trunks advanced quickly through the ranks, like Chiyo expected; they had no equal within the fighters. Both boys remembered their instructions to hold back on the regular kids, and nobody suffered more than a sore head or a slight concussion.

"Now the moment you have been waiting for!" the announcer shouted. "The junior division champion match between seven year old Son Goten and eight year old Brief Trunks! We've seen these young martial artists advance through to the finals - who will win?"

"Good question," Kuririn said. "Chiyo, who d'you think will win? You trained both of them, didn't you?"

"For a time," Chiyo replied. "Most likely Trunks will win. He's a little stronger."

"Naw, have some faith in your brother," Goku said. "I'm sure he'll do fine."

"I know he will, but I guess we'll have to wait and see." Chiyo leaned over the railing and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Goten! Trunks! You look great! Do your best! Remember your - "

"I think they get the picture," Kuririn interrupted, snorting. "This will be a good match!"

Goten and Trunks crouched into fighting stances. Chiyo swelled with pride. Their defences were perfect; no openings that she could see - yet.

Then in an instant both boys sprang at each other.

Their fists met with a flare of chi that Chiyo could almost hear, even over the sound of the crowd. Then they were off, trading blows with a fury that stunned the spectators into silence.

"Wow!" Goku said. "Look at them go!"

"Hey!"

Gohan appeared with Videl in tow. "We finally qualified," he said, grinning.

"What took you so long?" Kuririn asked, grinning. "You were spending time with your girlfriend, right?"

A blush spread across Gohan's cheeks. "I-it's not like that! We're really just friends!"

Chiyo narrowed her eyes at her brother, noticing his uncomfortable expression and the way he shifted nervously. _I wonder..._

Goten and Trunks were in the air now, fighting furiously. Chiyo took the time to study their fighting technique. Goten's was unique; a mix of hers and Gohan's fighting styles - which they had learned in turn from Piccolo and their father.

Trunks's style was his father's, with the occasional technique from her own style. Chiyo had trained Trunks and Goten within the past few years, though it was never intensive - Vegeta preferred to train his son himself, though he never seemed to mind her interfering now and again.

"Goten and Trunks are more powerful than most of the adult fighters!" Videl exclaimed.

Chiyo glanced at her but said nothing. She knew Gohan had taught Videl to fly, but she'd assumed he would have told her just how strong they really were. Obviously not.

Goten and Trunks landed on opposite sides of the ring. Then the stadium erupted in a roar of noise.

Chiyo leaned over the rail and joined in. "Go Goten! Go Trunks! You both look great!"

The two boys paused for a moment. Then Trunks crouched, and a flare of chi indicated to Chiyo what he was about to do, even before the twin chi blasts appeared in his palms.

"Trunks, what are you doing?" she shouted.

Too late. The boy fired the chi blasts, straight at Goten. Fortunately he managed to leap out of the way.

"He's going to hit the crowd!" Gohan said.

"No he won't," Goku replied calmly. "Watch. Trunks knows what he's doing."

Sure enough, the chi blast hit the barrier dividing the area between the seating and the ring. But Trunks clenched his fists and the blast shot upwards into the sky.

Chiyo scowled, although secretly she was proud. She had taught Trunks that attack herself; she hadn't expected him to master it so soon.

"That was good, but we agreed not to use chi at the Budoukai," she said.

_Let's hope Goten won't do something similar_, Chiyo thought, staring at the boys in the arena. But as she had guessed, Goten cupped his hands in a familiar stance and fired. The blast blew off part of the Budoukai arena's roof, barely missing the announcer.

"Did you teach him the _Kamehameha?_" she asked Gohan. He nodded, sighing.

"Yeah. I thought we told those kids not to use chi blasts."

"We did." Chiyo leaned over the railing again. "Hey, stop fooling around! You could hurt somebody!"

Although she doubted they heard her, moments later the boys began to fight again. The boys seemed to match each other blow for blow, and the fight continued on in the same vein for another ten minutes, until Goten turned Super Saiyan.

This time it was Gohan who shouted out to them.

"Goten, you dummy! You're not supposed to turn Super Saiyan here!"

"Huh?" Goku said. "Goten is already Super Saiyan?"

"Why are you surprised?" Chiyo said. "I was a Super Saiyan at his age."

"Yeah, but...you had all that training in the Room Of Spirit and Time. Goten hasn't needed to have that kind of intensive training, has he?"

Chiyo shrugged. "I guess."

"I can't believe how strong Goten is at his age," Goku commented as the two boys began to fight again.

"Now I get it!" Videl cried, startling the group. "Gohan, you've been giving Goten special lessons, haven't you?"

"No," Gohan replied, looking perplexed at her annoyed expression. "I haven't, really. Just the normal training."

"Huh. This is anything but normal."

Chiyo gave Videl a sympathetic smile. _It must be hard having to see all this stuff_, she thought vaguely, watching Goten and Trunks trading blows in the ring. She remembered how Videl's father, Mr. Satan, had reacted to Cell's "tricks" seven years ago. Having grown up around chi-using people her whole life, she wondered what it was like to find it wasn't a trick at all.

"Awwww!"

Goku's groan of disappointment jolted Chiyo out of her reverie. She leaned over the railing and spotted Goten glaring at Trunks from outside the ring. He had lost.

"W-what happened?" she asked.

"Goten lost," Gohan replied, looking disappointed. "Trunks blasted him out of the ring."

The announcer began to shout into his microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, the new junior division champion - Brief Trunks!"

"You mean they're both Super Saiyan?" Goku said. "What's with this generation?"

Vegeta clapped him on the shoulder. "Cheer up. Your son fought well, but my son was better."

_Just like Vegeta to turn it into a competition between him and Papa_, Chiyo thought, shaking her head.

"Before we begin the adult division," the announcer said, "We will have an exhibition match between Mr. Satan and Brief Trunks, the new junior champion!"

"Great," Chiyo muttered.

"Heh, I want to see Trunks pound the fool," Vegeta laughed. "World champion. Feh! I've seen stronger houseplants!"

"OH YEAH, VEGETA!" Gohan shouted, flailing his arms about and startling his sister. "What a crazy funny guy, huh?"

The girl followed his anxious gaze to Videl. She was staring at Vegeta in confusion.

_Poor girl._


	51. Saiyan Appetites

**Chapter 50 - Saiyan Appetites**

A few minutes later, the announcer's voice again rang out over the arena.

"Now to follow that seat-gripping action – a special attraction! The new winner of the youth division will battle the world champion – Hercule!"

"This will be interesting," Chiyo said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

Trunks and Satan came into the arena. Chiyo couldn't hear a word over the deafening cheers of the crowd, but by his stance Satan was probably showing off for the fans.

"Should we head back?" Kuririn said. "The prelims should be over by now."

"Yeah."

"Hey!" Videl said. "I thought you were his friend! You're not gonna watch him fight Hercule?"

"Yeah, sure, sounds like a great opportunity," Gohan said weakly. Chiyo shot him a withering glance.

"We'll see you there," Goku replied. "Bye."

"Chiyo?" Videl asked. "I bet you could learn a lot from this fight."

"Um..." Chiyo racked her brains to come up with a good excuse. "Um...sorry, I'm really hungry! Goodbye!"

"Excuse me, only people who have passed the preliminaries can enter beyond this point."

A Budoukai official blocked the group, again minus Gohan and Videl, as they made to walk into the next building.

"So the results are up?" Kuririn said. "C'mon, we all musta passed!"

"Hold on, I'll need your names."

They gave the official their names, which he checked off on a clipboard. Chiyo gave her name rather vaguely, more distracted by her surroundings.

"You're right, you've all passed," the man said. "Please, this way. There'll be a lottery at 1.30 to determine the match-ups."

"Great," Goku said, grinning widely. They began to make their way into the Budoukai participants' area.

Chiyo glanced back from time to time, feeling guilty at the look of disappointment on Videl's face. She was a nice girl, but Chiyo knew how the exhibition fight would turn out.

"It's about time we got some special treatment," Vegeta said.

Kuririn shrugged. "They do make money from seeing us fight. And I'll bet we'll make a clean sweep of the prize money!"

"Yeah," Goku said. "Too bad I can't use it in the afterlife!

Chiyo glanced at her father, unable to help feeling a pang of grief at his words. She had almost forgotten he was only here for one day. After that, he would be gone forever.

"It must be nice not to age anymore," Kuririn said, laughing.

"You wanna try dying, too?"

"No way. I couldn't be happier right now."

Chiyo nudged Kuririn. "Hey, how d'you know for sure Dad's gonna win the Budoukai?"

"Oh?" Goku smiled at his daughter. "Are you planning to win?"

"Maybe," she replied, grinning. "Let's go find that buffet. I'm starving."

"You sure eat a lot for a dead guy."

Kuririn, Piccolo and Eighteen watched in fascination (and a little disgust) as Chiyo, Vegeta and Goku devoured their way through enough food to feed an entire village.

"That's what Kaiou always tells me," Goku mumbled through a mouthful of rice, "but I just like eating."

Gohan and Videl appeared at the doorway to the eating hall. Chiyo almost choked when she saw Videl's expression. She didn't blame her for her surprise; Goku and Vegeta stacked up an impressive amount of dishes just on their own.

"Alright!" Gohan cheered.

"Hey Gohan!" Goku said. "How was the fight?"

"Trunks beat Mr. Satan with one punch," Gohan replied, oblivious to Videl's confused glance. "But Mr. Satan made it look like he lost on purpose."

Kuririn laughed. "He should be an actor."

Videl glanced down. "What d'you mean by that?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Gohan said hastily, clamping his hand over Kuririn's mouth. "Kuririn's just a funny guy. You just never know when to quit - _do you?_"

"Sure, uh...whatever you say."

Ten minutes later the Saiyans, including Gohan, were still eating. Chiyo was on her fifth bowl, having remembered her manners somewhat better than her father and brother. Their area was crowded with waiters continually taking away piles of dirty dishes and bringing more food for Vegeta, Goku and Gohan to shovel into their faces. Kuririn, Eighteen and Videl's disgust had turned into amazement.

"Hey!" Gohan called. "We're out of pasta!"

"Excuse me, more soup!"

"Bring some egg rolls while you're at it!"

"May I please have some pork buns? Thank you!"

Kuririn stared at his friends as their eighth course slowly dwindled before his eyes.

"You Saiyans have bottomless stomachs," he said. "Where the hell does it all go?"

"What's a Saiyan?" Videl asked.

"Kuririn!"

"Sorry, sorry!"

"What a great lunch!" Goku cheered as the group finally left the eating hall. "I'm stuffed!"

"Videl, why didn't you eat anything?" Gohan asked. "You're not on a diet, are you?"

Kuririn shook his head. "Most martial artists don't eat before a fight."

"Why?"

"Well, if you get punched in the stomach, it just comes back up, you know..."

"We should see who's fighting who," Eighteen interrupted. It was the first she'd spoken since they left their families behind an hour earlier.

Chiyo trotted ahead of her friends, glancing around with interest. The area looked much the same, dotted with palm trees framing a paved road that most likely lead to the next building.

There were two people waiting patiently ahead. At first she made as if to move past, but hesitated. They were odd looking; both with weird clothes and white hair; one very tall and one very short. Their chi radiated power, but there was something very different about it - like a low frequency against an undercurrent of background noise. If she hadn't been trained to pick up these things, it was likely she would have missed it.

Chiyo's group halted and she backed up and went to stand by her father. Goku glanced down at her and both hands rested on her shoulders comfortingly, but he didn't comment on her apparent unease. The smaller of the odd pair approached.

"Hello," said the man. "You must be Son Goku."

"Yeah, it is," Goku said. "How'd you know?"

_It's the hair_, Chiyo thought with a stifled snort, and saw the man glance at her sharply before speaking.

"Oh, I've heard about you," he replied. "I've always wanted to spar with you. I hope the lottery will pit us together for a match. Not that I'd ever imagine I could win, of course…but I want to know just how powerful you are."

Chiyo scrutinized the man carefully. His voice was smooth, light and formal, giving away seemingly no emotion but for a subtle hint of respect in the tone that was not reflected in his black eyes.

"It was an honour," the man said, glancing at her once again. "I am looking forward to this competition. I've travelled very far to see this...you could say I'm a fan, and I am sure you will not disappoint."

"Wow," Goku said, grinning. "Thanks."

"May I shake your hand?"

Goku's strong brown fingers gripped the odd man's slight, lilac-coloured hand, which was not much bigger than Chiyo's. She frowned. The fingers were unblemished by callouses with no prominence of the tendons - these were not the hands of a fighter.

"You have a good soul, as I've always heard." The odd man let go of her father's hand. "I'll see you!"

He and his large companion left, the group staring after them.

"Wait," Goku called, "I, uh, didn't catch your name..."

But they had vanished.

"And who, Goku, was that?," Piccolo rumbled.

"I don't know…but I know it won't be easy to pull off a clean sweep."

"He didn't look that tough, just weird," Kuririn replied.

_No, they're strong_, Chiyo thought. _But in a different way..._


	52. Sinister Opponents

**Chapter 52 – Sinister Opponents**

"Hey, wake up."

Chiyo glanced up to find Kuririn's face inches from hers.

"What?" she said, blinking.

"I asked you to hurry up," the fighter replied, grinning. "You've been walking like a puppet on strings ever since we met those weird guys back there."

"Huh? Oh, sorry…"

Chiyo suddenly realised she and her group were in an open area like the qualifying arena. A table with a white box and a large board were set up in the centre. The announcer that had greeted Goku earlier, two officials and another short, stout little man in a white shirt were conversing amongst themselves.

"Can I have your attention?" the stout man called. "Let's start the lottery! Please step up and draw a number when I call your name." He glanced at his clipboard. "Let's see…Killa!"

A lanky, dark-skinned man brushed past Chiyo and approached the two men sitting at the table. She watched with interest as he drew a green ball painted with the number 14.

"Mr. Killa is number fourteen," the official said, and another wrote Killa's name on the board. Chiyo took the time to observe the other contestants as the official began to read names. Most were fairly normal-looking. She noticed with interest that all of them were men – except for Videl and herself.

The next to draw was Kibito, who turned out to be the red-skinned companion of the strange man who had greeted Goku earlier.

Chiyo promptly lost interest, only noting that Kibito's companion was called Shin and he had drawn number three. She took the time to size up the other fighters; anyone could be her first opponent. Apart from Shin and Kibito they looked relatively normal - except for a masked figure with ludicrously short arms and legs. Chiyo stared at him for a good minute before she realized who it was, but said nothing and turned away, giggling to herself.

Then two men who stood together caught her eye. One, a huge bear of a man the announcer had called Spopovich, was facing Videl in the first round. His companion was leaner, but his muscles were well defined, obviously honed by years of training. The announcer had called him 'Yam'. Both men had bulging veins and shaved heads with a curiously designed 'M' tattooed on their foreheads.

_I wonder what the M means_, Chiyo thought. As she stared at them Spopovich turned toward her, eyes narrowing. His mouth stretched into a silent snarl.

She held his gaze even though inwardly, she was disturbed. The snarl was no pseudo-threat; there was animal fury in his black and strangely vacant eyes.

"Son Chiyo?"

Startled, Chiyo turned away from Spopovich's gaze to find everybody else staring at her.

"It's your turn," the announcer said. "Please draw a number."

Chiyo approached the table without a glance back, even though she could feel Spopovich's eyes on her.

"Number eight," one of the Budokai officials said, and another turned to write it on the board.

Number eight…Chiyo glanced at the board. Her opponent was Yam.

Her gaze fell on the two greyish men standing by themselves. Yam's face split into a hideous grin as her eyes met his.

Chiyo stared at him unflinchingly. It was a smile meant to unnerve her, make her lose her focus. She was too well-trained for it to work, but there was definitely something creepy and unnatural about him – both of them, actually. They reminded her of something from a ghost tale.

"Who'd you get?" Goku asked, appearing at Chiyo's shoulder.

"That Yam guy."

"The little one? Ugh…he's creepy."

Chiyo shuddered. "Don't remind me! There's something weird about the both of them." She looked at Goku. "Papa, I have a bad feeling about this. Something's going on. First that purple guy, then these two."

"I know." Goku suddenly looked grim. "But there's nothing we can do right now. So try to have fun, okay?"

"Alright, please pay attention!" the announcer called, standing in the centre of the arena. Chiyo sighed.

"Here are results! They are, in order,

1. Kuririn vs. Punta.

2. Demon Jr. vs Shin – "

"Who's Demon Jr.?" Chiyo asked her brother.

"Piccolo," Gohan whispered back. "He used to be evil, remember, and he doesn't want people to remember him."

"3. Videl vs. Spopovich -"

Chiyo glanced at Spopovich and felt a twinge of anxiety.

_I'm sure Videl will be fine_, she told herself. _She's probably been fighting since I was a baby._

But still, she thought, if it were her or Gohan she wouldn't worry so much.

"4. Yam vs Son Chiyo.

5. Kibito vs Son Gohan.

6. Eighteen vs. Mr. Satan.

7. Son Goku vs. Vegeta -"

Surprised, Chiyo looked up at the match board. Sure enough, Goku and Vegeta were listed under match 7. She knew that years ago, when she was just a baby, Vegeta had come to Earth with another Saiyan to destroy the planet, and her father had fought him off. Thus began a rivalry she had know of all her life - and now that match was going to happen again. Despite herself she felt excited. It would be the best fight in the Budokai!

"8. Mighty Mask vs. Killa.

"You're all aware of the rules, I hope?" the announcer said as he lead them to the waiting room. "You lose if you give up, get knocked down for a ten-count, fall out of the ring, or kill your opponent! Since we have so many matches, there'll be a half hour time limit. If the fight isn't settled in that time, the judges will determine the winner…"

Chiyo began her warm-up stretches in the small waiting room just inside the building. The only way out was either into the ring or back through the fighters' area. No-one seemed ready to quit, though no-one seemed to be warming up beforehand.

"That's presumptuous, don't you think?"

Chiyo glanced up to find a large, dark-skinned man watching her from the doorway. She remembered his name as Punta. He was first up, facing Kuririn.

"Meaning?" she asked.

Punta grinned. "Leetle girls don't belong in the ring. You won't last past the first round."

"Is that so?"

"You'll be running back to mama when I'm finished with you!"

Chiyo straightened up, rolled her shoulders, and looked at Punta directly. She wondered for a moment if her mother had to deal with this sort of thing when she'd fought in the Budokai. She was tempted to try out some words she'd learned from Vegeta. Instead she decided on silence. Making your opponent angry just made them more determined to hurt you; putting them on tilt with calmness gave you a psychological advantage. Although she ached to burn his ears with a tongue lashing, she said nothing. Eventually Punta smirked at her and left the room. Chiyo followed him out into the main area, where she was intercepted by her brother.

"Hey, are you okay? You're shaking."

"I'm fine!"

Chiyo's reply came out harsher than usual, and for a moment Gohan looked surprised. She shook her head. "Sorry. That guy Punta…he cornered me in the other room."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "He was saying I'd lose in the first round and how the ring was no place for girls."

"You won't lose," Gohan said reassuringly, patting her on the shoulder.

"I know that! He was being infuriating. I wanted to punch him!"

"Don't worry about it," Videl said, appearing at Gohan's side. "It's happened to me too."

"Really?"

"What?"

"Shush, Gohan." Videl took Chiyo's arm. "Come on. I'll tell you what to say when a guy tries to harass you like that."

The two girls walked away with their heads bent, whispering and laughing, as Gohan leant against the wall and sighed. _Girls!_

"Time's a-wasting! Let's get right to the first match – Kuririn vs Punta!"

At the announcer's shout, Kuririn glanced up.

"That's my cue," he said happily, cracking his knuckles.

"Ready to die, leetle man?"

Punta came waddling towards Kuririn, grinning nastily.

"Ah, you must be my opponent," Kuririn said.

"And you must be...well, you will not be much after I am through with you!" the massive man replied, grinning.

"Rude!" Chiyo said indignantly, glaring at the giant man. "Ever heard of good sportsmanship?"

"You should not talk, leetle girl," Punta replied, grinning widely at her. "You're next - once I beat this one here."

"Come on out, Kuririn and Punta!"

Kuririn waved to his friends. "Hey, wish me luck."

"Good luck!" Chiyo said.

"Break a leg," Goku said, grinning.

"Sure, so long as it's not one of mine."

Kuririn and Punta left the waiting area and began to walk down the path leading to the arena. Punta used his bulk to shove past Kuririn, moving with surprising quickness up the steps into the arena with the announcer.

Chiyo sat on the wooden screen covering the doorway to watch the match. Budoukai officials lined up around the ring began to pound their drums as the announcer spoke briefly to Kuririn and Punta before leaping out of the ring.

"Let the match begin!"

Chiyo watched in anticipation, waiting for something exciting to happen. It didn't. Punta pointed at Kuririn, saying something she couldn't hear, and then began to do a lot of flashy leaps around the ring.

_What on Earth is this?_ She thought, watching the massive man throw his bulk around. Really, back flips and somersaults did nothing useful unless you needed to get away from something - and Kuririn wasn't even moving.

Then it happened. One moment Punta was standing over the little fighter, laughing; the next he was rolling off the ring onto the ground, eyes popping. Kuririn had buried his fist in the man's solar plexus faster than most of the audience could see.

Kuririn held up his fist in bored triumph and left the ring.

"Uh...you sure did hit him hard," Chiyo said, peering over her shoulder as the medics struggled to lift the huge man onto a stretcher.

"Well, he was annoying me," Kuririn replied apologetically. "He'll be fine. Nothing a good few hours' rest won't cure."

She laughed. "Let's hope it cures his cockiness as well."

"Now onto match two," the announcer called, "Shin vs Demon Jr!"

Piccolo appeared behind Chiyo.

"Good luck," she told him, but he just grunted. She noticed he was sweating.

_I wonder what's getting to him_, she thought.

Piccolo and Shin entered the ring to the cheers of the crowd. Chiyo watched them carefully; she noticed Piccolo seemed overly stiff, as if he were afraid but trying not to show it.

For all the years Chiyo had known Piccolo, she had never seen him like this - and it frightened her.

"I don't understand," Kuririn muttered. "Is this Shin really that interesting?"

"Yeah, kinda," Goku said.

"Why? He doesn't look all that powerful to me."

Chiyo shook her head. "He is, but not in the way we are. There's something else about him."

"Fighters, let the third match begin!" the announcer called.

Long seconds passed, in which Piccolo and Shin stood in the same place and stared at each other. They seemed to be talking.

"Why is Piccolo hesitating?" she wondered, not realising she'd spoken out loud.

The cheer of the crowd gradually faded away into silence, then boos.

"What's wrong with Piccolo?" Gohan asked, frowning. "Why won't he fight?"

Then the announcer spoke.

"Forfeit? You mean…you're not going to fight?"

"What?" Gohan said. "Why's he forfeiting?"

Goku said nothing, but his face darkened.

"Well..." the announcer spoke into the microphone hesitantly."Demon Jr has forfeited. Shin is the winner!"

Piccolo turned and walked back into the building. His face was set into a hard expression.

"Was it that bad, Piccolo?" Goku said.

"Yes." The Namekian didn't look at his old friend. "He is…a different order of being."

Chiyo, Gohan, Kuririn and Goku stared at Piccolo as he walked away.

_A different order of being..._Piccolo's words echoed in Chiyo's head. At the sound of the announcer talking into his microphone, she pushed away her growing fear and turned towards the arena.

"...the third match, Videl vs. Spopovich!"

At the mention of Videl's name, the crowd roared its approval.

"Wow, you're really popular!" Gohan said, grinning. "Good luck!"

Chiyo turned to look at Videl's opponent, who was pushing his hulking form past Killa.

_There's something really weird about that guy._


	53. Super Sadist

**Chapter 53 – Super Sadist**

"Welcome Videl, daughter of the famous Hercule, champion of justice, captor of criminals, and winner of the youth division at our last tournament!" the announcer shouted over the crowd's cheers.

Chiyo leaned against the door frame and watched Spopovich and Videl climb into the ring. She couldn't stop remembering Spopovich's snarl of fury when he saw her just staring at him. What would he do if Videl punched him?

The back of Chiyo's neck prickled, and she glanced over her shoulder. Shin was approaching her, his black eyes fixed on the ring. As he passed they flicked toward her; eyes of the same colour met.

Chiyo held his gaze for a few seconds before he turned away, the flicker of a smile showing on his face. She turned back to the ring, both fascinated and unnerved by something in his eyes that she didn't understand.

Suddenly Videl attacked her opponent - the match was on. She was an aggressive fighter, Chiyo noted, powerful but with a style that was more masculine than her own. Probably because Mr. Satan trained her, she thought.

BOOM!

Spopovich hit the ground, his massive bulk crumpling under the girl's attack.

"Spopovich is down!" the announcer shouted, and the crowd bellowed. "But Spopovich isn't beaten! He's built like a tank!"

Sure enough, Spopovich was on his feet again. Videl attacked again, and with a well-placed kick Spopovich crashed to the ground again within two minutes.

"Spopovich is down again! But - oh, now he's getting back up...! How does he do it?"

"How is she?" Goku said, appearing behind Chiyo and Kuririn, who was also watching.

"Pretty good!" Kuririn replied, grinning.

"Way more talented than this guy," Gohan said proudly. "All her blows are connecting!"

Even from the doorway, Chiyo could see Videl's forehead wrinkle in frustration and a little puzzlement.

"Go Videl!" she called out encouragingly, and saw the girl give her the thumbs up before delivering a hard punch to Spopovich's face. The big man staggered, then righted himself and made a clumsy move to trip Videl. She leapt away easily and delivered a blow that put Spopovich on the ground for the third time.

"She's done it!" cried Gohan.

But Spopovich didn't stay down; instead, he climbed to his feet. What was worse, he seemed relatively unharmed - though Videl had apparently been a strong fighter before Gohan had taught her to fly, but the usage of her chi would only make her stronger. This didn't seem to make sense.

_Then again, there is really something unnatural about Spopovich_, Chiyo thought.

"No, no, that's not right," she said suddenly.

"What?" Gohan said, glancing at her. "What are you talking about? He's just a tough opponent, that's all. Videl is winning."

_No, she's not_, Chiyo said to herself, and felt a small stab of fear.

"He's down again!" the announcer shouted, as Spopovich fell for the fourth time. "This time, Videl may have just won this one! I - uh...oh."

Spopovich climbed to his feet, but this time, something different showed in his face. The unexplainable fury in his expression made her chest tighten.

"I...I think Videl should give up," she blurted suddenly.

"What? Why?" Gohan demanded.

"I agree," Goku said, frowning. "There's something weird about him."

"Forfeit, why?" Kuririn asked. "She's got the advantage?"

Chiyo turned back to the match. Videl was attacking again, and this time her frustration and anger were apparent.

But Spopovich didn't seem to be too affected by her blows. His expression showed naked fury, and when he finally got through her defense and delivered a punch to her face, his smile was sadistic.

Videl flipped backwards to avoid the follow-up blow that would come after, and touched her cheek gingerly. It was a hard blow, but she was a fighter and didn't make a fuss over just one hit. Chiyo found herself beginning to really like Videl, although the timing was a little strange.

Spopovich was on the attack now; he again broke through Videl's defense and kicked her hard. Videl flew over the boundary of the ring - but before she could hit the ground, she began to float.

"Yeah!" Gohan shouted. "I taught her that!"

"It might've been better if she had fallen," Goku said grimly. "Something's wrong about this Spopovich. He's way too unfazed for the damage he's taken. And I don't feel any chi from him at all."

"But what does it mean?" Chiyo said softly.

Videl landed back in the ring and attacked again. This time Spopovich actually fought back, but his opponent was quicker and lighter. After dodging two punches, Videl lashed out with her foot and delivered a hard kick to his neck.

CRACK.

Chiyo had seen many frightening things in her life, but even the breaking of Spopovich's neck disturbed her. She could almost see in slow motion the head snapping around, bones snapping and splintering, and the suddenly lifeless body crumpling to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

There was a sudden silence, except for the wind and the occasional murmur or gasp in the crowd.

"Hey!" Gohan said, gaping.

"W-well, that's it," the announcer said shakily into his microphone. "V-Videl has been disqualified f-for using excessive f-force..."

Videl straightened up; it was impossible to tell what she was thinking from the stony expression on her face.

Then the body moved.

Kuririn was the first to notice. He leant forward with a muttered curse.

"Wow, this guy really isn't normal," he said. "Wouldya look at that!"

The mangled body of Spopovich got to his feet. Seizing the head in both hands, he pulled and twisted. The greyish skin stretched like a grotesque balloon and the bones cracked back into place. Only Chiyo's years of hard training kept her from being sick on the spot. Some members of the audience weren't so lucky, and sounds of retching reached her ears.

"Guh...guh...I don't know how to explain this," the announcer stuttered, "but somehow...Spopovich has put it back..!"

He waved away the medics that had appeared by the ring and said, "Okay, well, let the match recommence!"

Immediately Spopovich's enormous knee shot out, smashing Videl in the nose and knocking her backwards. The frustration on her face was replaced by fear.

_Videl, give up now!_ Chiyo thought, glaring at Spopovich's animated face. _Don't you see what he's doing?_

Videl shot into the air, high above the ring. There she floated, trying to stem the flow of blood from her broken nose.

"That's it!" Gohan shouted up at her. "Escape into the sky and catch your breath!"

Spopovich's gaze travelled upwards, and his face split into a grin.

Then his feet left the ground.

Kuririn and Gohan let out a collective gasp. Goku, Chiyo and Vegeta stayed silent, their eyes fixed on the two figures high above the ring.

Spopovich flew above Videl and his hand stretched towards her. Purple chi gathered in his palm.

"Videl, _move!_" Chiyo screamed.

But Videl wasn't fast enough to dodge the chi blast. She was knocked out of the air, tumbling over and over, and hit the ground on her hands and knees.

"You dirty...!" Chiyo could barely restrain herself from leaping into the ring and grinding Spopovich's face into the ground. But experience had taught her (the hard way) that running off half-cocked wasn't a good idea. Still, the idea of pounding Spopovich was starting to sound appealing.

If only she knew what was about to happen...!

"That was a chi blast – but without much power," Kuririn said angrily.

"No," Vegeta said. "He weakened it on purpose…because he'd lose if he killed her!"

"He has powers beyond his natural abilities," Goku said suddenly. His face was dark with anger.

"What d'you mean?" Gohan said, but his father didn't reply.

Videl attacked Spopovich again, but her energy was beginning to wear out. The massive man headbutted her, kicked her in the gut and then swept her legs out from under her. Videl hit the ground hard.

"Videl is struggling to get back into the fight!" the announcer shouted. "What determination!"

Videl was back up within a few seconds and driving a hard blow into Spopovich's face. Like before, he seemed unfazed. He simply elbowed her in the gut, then dragged her upwards by her hair and began to punch her.

Chiyo looked away. The fear she had felt during the match was being replaced by anger, a slow, boiling rage that began in her stomach. She was suddenly glad Videl hadn't eaten anything before the match; the last thing she needed was more humiliation.

"Now he's just playing with her," Kuririn muttered, glaring at him.

"It appears Videl could be down for the count!" The announcer said promptly as a thud reached Chiyo's ears. "She's not moving at all...!"

But Videl was tougher than she looked. She began to get to her feet, to the protests of Gohan and Kuririn.

"Give up, Videl!" Gohan shouted. "You've done all you can!"

Videl could hardly stand properly by now, and it was clear this was no fair match. Spopovich had all but won the fight, but he was playing with her. Chiyo watched stonily as the massive man smashed his fist into Videl's already battered face. There was a roaring in her ears that blocked out the noise around her, and she felt terribly cold.

_Videl is a nice girl_, she thought. _She doesn't deserve this_.

"Why's she being so stubborn?" Gohan cried as his friend went flying. "She'll get killed! That jerk doesn't care that she's a girl!"

The announcer bent over the prone form of Videl and seemed to be conferring with her. After a moment Videl shook her head and climbed to her feet on wobbly legs.

And despite her anger, Chiyo had to admire Videl's bravery and perseverance. Chiyo knew very little about girls except the ones she saw in Satan City - silly, giggling, timid little things with skimpy clothing. Videl was more like Chi-Chi.

Screams cut through Chiyo's reverie. To her horror she saw Videl on the ground with her head under Spopovich's boot.

"This is sick!" she cried.

Gohan's chi flared.

"You're right," he said between clenched teeth. "This has gone on long enough!"

A golden aura exploded around him and the bandanna around his hair disintegrated.

"Bad idea!" Kuririn exclaimed. "Calm down!"

"No!"

Chiyo repressed a shiver at the look on her brother's face.

"Enough fooling around! End it there, Spopovich!"

Yam appeared suddenly by the ring, glaring at his companion.

"This isn't what we set out to do," he snapped. "Just get the win over with."

Spopovich kicked Videl off the platform, scowling. Almost immediately Gohan was at her side, followed closely by Chiyo.

"We'll get a stretcher!" the announcer said.

"No! I'll carry her," Gohan replied. "And Spopovich! In the next round, it's you and me."


	54. Chiyo vs Yam

**Chapter 54 – Chiyo vs Yam**

Chiyo sighed as Gohan left hurriedly with Videl.

_At least she's alive_, she thought, glaring at Spopovich. _No thanks to him!_

"Where's Dad, Kuririn?" Chiyo asked when she returned to the waiting room. "I need to talk to him."

"He went to get a senzu seed," Kuririn replied. "Hopefully Master Karin will have some."

"We wouldn't need them if it weren't for Spopovich," Chiyo muttered. "If Gohan doesn't face him next round, I sure hope I do!"

"Chiyo..."

"_What?_ He deserves a pounding for what he did. I would do the same for anybody!"

Gohan appeared then, and Chiyo accosted him at the door to demand news of Videl.

"She's alright," he replied cheerfully. "She's beat up, but she'll recover in time."

"Physically, maybe," Chiyo said. "But beatings like that might take a while to forget."

"Why?"

Chiyo raised an eyebrow. "You know, the kind of fight that takes you down a peg or two. Wounded pride stings pretty badly."

"I guess," Gohan replied, throwing Kuririn a puzzled glance. "Where's Dad?"

"Gone to get senzu seeds," Chiyo said. "I'm going to see Videl. I have a couple of minutes."

"Wait, I'll come too."

"But didn't you just come from there?"

Gohan shrugged. "Beats waiting around for Dad to come back."

Chiyo and Gohan rounded the corner of the waiting room building and strode down the pathway.

"So...what's up with you and Dad?" Gohan said suddenly, as they were walking.

Chiyo glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you've been kind of...well, awkward with him ever since he came back."

"No, I haven't," Chiyo snapped, and broke into a jog.

"Hey, don't get angry. I was just -"

"It's fine! Everything's fine. Okay?"

"Okay." Gohan's voice softened. "You can tell me if it's not, that's all."

_Guilt. Great._ Chiyo sighed inwardly.

"In here," Gohan said, as they arrived at a pair of doors leading into yet another building.

The entrance opened up into a long corridor crowded with journalists. A few were stationed in front of one door marked 'Medical Bay', seeming eager for news of Videl - or perhaps, a glimpse of Hercule.

"We have to get in there, but there are too many reporters," Gohan muttered. "Come on."

He pulled Chiyo down the hallway and out a door leading to another part of the competitors' area.

"Where are we going?" Chiyo demanded. "Are we actually visiting Videl or not?"

_"...hope she'll be okay."_

_"She'll be fine. Videl's a tough girl. Still, if ever I find that -"_

Gohan pulled Chiyo around the corner. Two people walked past seconds later - a girl with short blonde hair and a tall young man, wearing a scowl and a white suit.

Chiyo waited until the two had passed before saying, "Let's go back to the waiting area. No sense in trying to get through that crowd twice."

"Yeah, I guess..."

Not bothering to ask Gohan who those people had been (she simply assumed they were friends of Videl), they made their own way back to the waiting room.

"Shouldn't Dad be back?" Gohan asked Kuririn, appearing at the smaller man's side.

"Yeah, I don't know what's keeping him..."

"Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for the match?" The announcer cried. "I have an update – Videl's injuries are not considered serious! Great news for all Videl fans!"

He paused to allow the cheers to die down, and then added, "Up next – Son Chiyo vs Yam – "

"Excuse me!"

The announcer stopped, startled, as Gohan ran out and began to whisper to him.

"Oh...okay. The match is being delayed for a few minutes," the announcer said into his microphone. "Please be patient."

"Sorry," Gohan said as he returned. "I just want to make sure Videl is okay first. I want to watch you fight."

Chiyo raised an eyebrow. "You really like that girl, don't you?"

Her brother's cheeks reddened, but he said nothing and instead began to pace.

Five minutes later, Goku appeared in the middle of the waiting room and was almost bowled over by Gohan.

"Did you get the senzu seeds?" he said urgently.

"Yeah, Master Karin had only three left," Goku replied, "but they're all yours."

"Thanks!"

Gohan took a senzu and disappeared. Chiyo suddenly felt much better. The senzu were magical seeds that cured battle injuries. Videl would be completely fine after taking one - assuming Gohan could get through to the medical bay.

Two minutes later, however, Gohan returned with a definite spring in his step, and ran outside to speak with the announcer.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" the announcer shouted. "Let's get started. Son Chiyo vs Yam!"

The crowd cheered noisily as the announcer flipped his microphone and lifted his face to the crowd.

"Son Chiyo is the young daughter of former Budokai champion Son Goku! At just age fifteen she passed the qualifying round as our youngest contestant…"

Chiyo felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Be careful," Goku said in a low voice. "You saw what happened to Videl. There's something unnatural about these two guys. They're not what they should be."

"I know." Chiyo bit her lip. "I'm sure I'll be fine. Besides, if I knock him out of the competition now, he won't be able to injure anyone like Spopovich did."

"Miss Chiyo, if you please!"

"Good luck!" Gohan said cheerfully, slapping her on the back.

"I don't need luck, I'm a Super Saiyan," Chiyo joked. Still, she felt uneasy.

She joined Yam on the path to the ring. The crowd cheered wildly, shouting words of encouragement (and discouragement). Yam kept his gaze forward and walked silently.

They faced each other in the ring. Chiyo didn't bother to bow, and she doubted Yam would extend the courtesy. He grinned at her.

"Let the match begin!"

Yam attacked.

Chiyo watched calmly as the fighter ran at her, still grinning hideously.

_He's underestimating me_, she thought, scowling to herself. _He just thinks I'm a stupid kid – I'll show him!_

Yam was getting closer, though to Chiyo he moved like he was running through sludge. But then she felt a small flash of chi, and suddenly he was there –

She lifted her forearm and her opponent's fist connected with a sound like a clap of thunder. There was an _ooooh_ from the watching crowd. Then the two fighters clashed in a flurry of fists and feet.

"Look at them go!" the announcer shouted with gusto. "Son Chiyo's matching Yam blow for blow!"

"What's she doing?" Gohan demanded. He and the others were watching as Chiyo and Yam battled it out in the ring. "She can beat this guy no sweat!"

"Use your head," Vegeta snapped. "Chiyo is holding back deliberately."

"But why?"

"She wants to see how Yam fights," Piccolo rumbled. "Prudent."

Goku nodded approvingly. By watching his daughter fight he could see how much she'd improved in the last few years. He felt his heart swell with pride and love for her – for all his children. Gohan was a boy any father would be proud of, and what better surprise could there be than to find he had another son, and a good kid at that?

Yam and Chiyo broke apart and began to circle each other. Neither was injured; Chiyo was too quick to strike, and she hadn't landed a blow on him in return – she wanted to see how he fought, not pummel him. In truth, she found him strange. His fighting technique was generic; he could have been taught by any city _dojo_ or some obscure martial arts master. He had only a very small chi, so where did his power come from? It made no sense. He was using power he'd never had; powers that would have taken him years to develop.

Yam suddenly lunged for her, hoping to catch the girl off guard. Chiyo dodged his punch with ease – and did the same for the blows that came after. She could see the open frustration in his face; he snarled at her in the same way his companion Spopovich had. His rage startled her; she leaped backwards, away from his kick, and raised her fists. Yam extended his hand, his face twisted in fury. Purple chi gathered in his palm –

Boom!

"Now I _know_ he's not meant to do that," she muttered, frowning, as he fired a chi blast at her. So he could use chi like Spopovich could. But unlike Videl, she could block it easily.

_I'll bounce it back_, she thought. _Give him a dose of his own medicine…_

But when the blast was seconds away, Chiyo heard a commanding voice shouting:

_Don't injure him!_

Chiyo lashed out and sent the blast flying into the sky. Before Yam had time to react, she caught him with a punch to the face that sent him flying. He tumbled out of the ring with a grunt of pain.

"Ring out!" the announcer shouted. "Son Chiyo is the victor!"

The arena erupted. Yam got to his feet slowly, glaring at Chiyo who stood watching him from the ring.

"Don't use chi here!" she said, pointing at him. "If I see you pull a trick like that again, I won't be so easy on you."

She turned and walked back inside, her troubled thoughts blocking out the crowd's appreciation of the match.

When Chiyo reached the fighters' entrance, she paused and looked at Shin.

"He'll have bruises, nothing more," she said. "Are you happy?"

Shin said nothing. Chiyo shrugged and brushed past him. She was quickly intercepted by Kuririn, Gohan and Goku.

"Hey, great performance!"

"Not bad for your first time in the Budokai, eh?"

"Thanks," Chiyo said distractedly. She looked up and noticed Goku, Vegeta and Piccolo watching her.

"Well?" Vegeta said impatiently.

She shook her head. "I don't know. They're something unnatural, alright. If I didn't know any better I would say they were Androids."

"Dr Gero?" Goku said.

"It's not possible," Piccolo replied. "Trunks and Kuririn destroyed Gero's laboratory years ago."

"They're not Androids," Vegeta interrupted. "They're human. But their chi doesn't match the powers they're displaying."

Chiyo nodded grimly. "One thing's for sure – they'll be a problem."


	55. Divine Identity

**Chapter 55 – Divine Identity**

"And now for the next match!" the announcer shouted. "Kibito vs the Great Saiyaman!"

Gohan and Kibito made their way to the ring amidst cheers from the audience. The white bandanna on his head had blown off from his earlier transformation, and his dark hair stuck up in wild spikes. Kibito was silent, ignoring the crowd as he took his place in the ring.

"Let the match begin!"

Gohan paused amidst the crowd's cheers, and took off his sunglasses, tossing them aside.

_I thought he wanted to be a superhero in disguise_, Chiyo thought, grinning.

The match had officially started, and yet, neither Gohan nor Kibito were attacking. They stood in the ring staring at each other, perhaps talking - Chiyo wasn't close enough to see or hear. She edged past Piccolo and Vegeta and stuck her head as far past the screen as she dared.

"How d'you know about Super Saiyans?" Gohan was asking.

"Did he just say...?" Chiyo began, but she was cut off by Piccolo's bass tone.

"Gohan, do it," he said.

Goku glanced at the Namekian. "What is it? Do you know something?"

"Not precisely, but..."

Chiyo opened her mouth to demand an explanation, but a soft voice spoke from behind.

"It is time," Shin said quietly, approaching Goku and Piccolo. "We must make use of Gohan – " his gaze rested on Chiyo. " – and I need you all to stay put for a while, no matter what happens."

"What are you talking about?" Goku asked, frowning.

Vegeta snorted. "Why should we listen to you? Who are you?"

Piccolo shot the Saiyan a quelling glance. "This is Kaio-shin-sama," he rumbled. "The Lord of Lords…the God to the Gods."

_Kaioshin-sama?_ Chiyo thought, confused, searching her memory for some kind of explanation. She had met the North Kaio-sama when she was a kid and remembered that he was the "lord of worlds", or at least the North sector, where Earth was - and she thought the lords of the four sectors would be the highest there is. But it made sense, she thought, that like on Earth everyone would have their place, and there would be a hierarchy, even in the gods' realm...

Even as Chiyo was trying to get her mind around the concept, she heard her friends muttering behind her.

"Is something gonna happen when he goes Super Saiyan?" Kuririn said.

"Spopovich and Yam will no doubt attack Son Gohan," Shin replied. "But as I said…I want you to do nothing."

"Attack him?" Chiyo repeated, disturbed.

"Don't be afraid. They won't take his life. They're after his energy."

Videl appeared suddenly, pushing past some of the other fighters. Chiyo was happy to see she seemed to have recovered fully.

"Are you okay?" she asked the older girl, but at that moment Gohan transformed.

A golden aura exploded around him and his hair and eyes lightened; Chiyo had seen him transform so many times it no longer held her in awe. However this time was different; electricity began to crackle around his body, and his aura expanded, whipping dust and shrapnel into the amazed audience.

"Gohan...Gohan is the golden-haired warrior?" Videl said, staring at the blazing figure in the ring. Chiyo barely had time to wonder what she meant before Vegeta interrupted.

"He was better back when he beat Cell," he said, his voice contemptuous. "He's slacked off his training regimen…peace isn't good for a warrior. You'd be better off training her," and he nodded at Chiyo, "She's got more power than he does now."

"I have?" Chiyo said in surprise, staring at him. He jerked his head in gruff assent before turning back to the ring.

Then it happened: there was movement from the sidelines, and Yam and Spopovich came seemingly from nowhere, carrying an odd-looking container. The end of the container was pointed and it gleamed brightly in the sunlight; in that moment Chiyo knew what they were going to do.

"No!" she cried, but it was too late. Spopovich's massive arms wrapped around her brother's neck, pinning his arms behind him, and Yam drove the sharp end of the container into his side.

Gohan's screams were terrible. Chiyo turned her head, wishing she could block out the sound, and felt her own chi increase involuntarily. The ribbons that held her hair in place disintegrated as she transformed into Super Saiyan.

"GOHAN!" Kuririn shouted, and made to leap forward. Piccolo's arm shot out and seized the back of his shirt. A second later Shin did the same, grabbing Chiyo's arm a second before she moved.

"Don't interfere!" he said.

"I don't care who you are," Chiyo replied through gritted teeth. "Gohan's life is _not_ for you to play with!"

"Gohan's life is not in danger," Shin said urgently. "Don't go out there."

Gohan's chi dropped suddenly, and Chiyo turned away from Shin in time to see Yam pull the container out of his side. Spopovich let go of Gohan, who crumpled. Then they took off, flying from the ring. Moments later they were only dots on the horizon.

"Gohan! Gohan!"

Chiyo started forward, but Shin seized her arm again.

"Don't do anything," he commanded. "Don't worry – Kibito will put him back to normal."

"What did they do to him?" Chiyo demanded. When he didn't reply, she seized his shoulder and shook it. "_Tell__ me what they did!"_

"Chiyo!" Piccolo growled.

But Shin waved the Namekian away and turned back to the group, gently prising Chiyo's fingers off his shoulder.

"We'll follow those two," he said.

"So you're leaving," Goku said. It wasn't a question.

"Please come with us, if you like," Shin replied, with the hint of a smile. "It would be a great help."

Then without another word, he turned and left in the direction Yam and Spopovich had gone.

"What do we do?" Kuririn said, glancing at Goku.

"I'm going with him!" Goku said. "We've the Lord of Lords' word that Gohan'll be fine! And I wanna know what this is about!"

Kuririn shrugged. "I can't say that I'm gonna like it, but if you go then I'm going too."

"OK, let's do it. Chiyo?"

"I…" she hesitated. "I don't want to leave Gohan."

"Shin is the Lord of Lords," Piccolo said. "You should trust his judgment. If he says that Kibito will heal Gohan, then he will."

"Okay…I guess."

Chiyo glanced at Kibito, who was bending over her brother's prone form.

_Gohan, I hope you'll be okay,_ she thought, sighing, then went to join her friends.


	56. The Magician & the Demon Lord

**Chapter 55 - The Magician and the Demon Lord**

"I knew you'd come."

Goku, Vegeta, Chiyo, Piccolo and Kuririn caught up to the Lord of Lords ten miles from Papaya Island. He was heading north-west; Chiyo could see the southern islands rushing by hundreds of feet below. She suspected they would pass over South City soon.

"Thank you. We probably can't win without yhou," the Lord of Lords said.

"Can't win against those two?" Goku said, confused. "But they're not that strong..."

"No, they're only being used. Our foe is a warlock."

"A warlock?" Piccolo repeated sharply, staring over his shoulder at the Lord of Lords.

"Yes. Long ago, when humanity was first beginning to walk upright, far across the universe lived an evil warlock called Bibbidi. One day, he accidentally created a terrible monster. A fearsome _djinn_ named Boo. This djinn possesses neither reason nor emotion…he exists solely to slaughter and destroy. To strike fear into the hearts of all living things." The Lord of Lords looked grim. "In just a few years, hundreds of planets were wiped out."

That caught Chiyo's attention. She sped up a little to hear the Lord of Lords better.

"In those days there were five Lords of Lords," Lord of Lords continued. "Each could have felled Freeza with one blow. Four of them were killed by Boo"

_That's not so strong,_ Chiyo thought. _I could probably take out Freeza with one hit, as I am now..._

"You could, Son Chiyo," the Lord of Lords said, and Chiyo suddenly realized he was speaking to her. "But you could not defeat Boo."

Chiyo flushed furiously as everyone stared at her. _Mind-reading!_ She thought, glaring at the Lord of Lords. _So rude!_

"Boo's ferocity was too much for even his creator, Bibbidi," the Lord of Lords said. "When he needed a respite, he placed the djinn under a magic seal. Bibbidi brought the sealed Boo to their next target...Earth. I killed Bibbidi soon after." His voice grew bitter. "I thought it best to leave the container untouched, as only Bibbidi could break the seal.

"But we recently discovered something terrible – the warlock Bibbidi had a child! And Bobbidi is just as terrible as his parent!"

"So he's come here to resurrect Boo," Kuririn commented.

"Yes."

Goku shrugged. "So basically, we have to stop them from resurrecting this Boo."

"Precisely," the Lord of Lords replied. "Which means defeating Bobbidi first."

"Is he tough?"

The Lord of Lords shook his head. "Not physically, but he uses magic. His father Bibbidi was the same. Warlocks take advantage of the evil within people and take control of them, as he did with Spopovich and Yam. Let's just hope he doesn't have anyone formidable on his side.

"Yam and Spopovich were possessed, weren't they?" Chiyo asked.

"Yes."

_Thought so_, Chiyo said to herself, remembering Spopovich's barely controlled rage; she felt a chill creep down her spine.

"To bring the djinn Boo back, Bobbidi will a large amount of energy," Lord of Lords continued. "Bobbidi sent Yam and Spopovich to the Tenkaichi Budoukai, where he thought the strongest fighters, and so the most energy, would be. We do not know where Bobbidi's hideout is, so we are following these two to find him."

"Why'd you leave this djinn lying around if you knew what it could do?"

Lord of Lords avoided Goku's gaze; his voice had the same bitter edge to it.

"We had no choice," he admitted. "We didn't know what could break the seal. And we thought it would be safe, since the shell was at a place inaccessible to humans."

Suddenly, Chiyo felt two chi approaching from behind; one familiar, one unknown.

Then Gohan was there, speeding to catch up with the rest of the group. Kibito was with him.

"Gohan!" she called. "Hey!"

"Hey!" Gohan replied, waving and grinning. He was still wearing his dorky Saiyaman outfit, but Chiyo didn't care. She was just happy to see him.

"Are you okay?" she called back anxiously.

"Fine," Gohan replied with a grin, speeding to keep up with her.

"I'm glad you're here, Gohan," Goku said. "It looks like we have our work cut out for us again."

"I heard."

Goku grinned over his shoulder at his son. "But hey, let's have some fun this time - it's been too long!"

"Okay!"

"They're making their descent," Lord of Lords interrupted.

Sure enough, the two dots on the horizon - Yam and Spopovich - were diving from the sky.

The Lord of Lords and Kibito landed on a large, craggy rock formation. Chiyo followed with the others, suppressing her chi to avoid detection, and peered over the top.

"This is odd," Kibito murmured. "We checked this area before."

Below lay what seemed to be a completely bare plain, devoid of any life at all. The only remarkable signs on the bleak landscape were a small house and nearby, a white formation rather like a cone. And standing outside...

Chiyo leaned forward, squinting in the afternoon sun. Yam and Spopovich seemed to be conversing with another figure, shorter than both. All Chiyo could see was that he had a flat, alien face and a white helmet.

"Is that Bobbidi?" Goku asked.

"No. That's one of his minions."

"Oh." Goku leaned forward. "The ground looks like it's been dug up recently."

"Of course," Kibito growled. "His ship was hidden underground! That's why we never found it!"

"Which means he knows we're here on Earth," the Lord of Lords said, frowning. "Otherwise, why bother hiding his ship?"

"We should make our move!" Piccolo rumbled. "Before they can use Gohan's energy and resurrect Boo!"

"No." Lord of Lords shook his head. "They'll come outside to resurrect Boo so they don't destroy the ship. We can make our move then. Let's wait and see…"

Chiyo propped her chin on her elbows and studied what she could see of Bobbidi's ship.

_I wonder how stable that ground is_, she thought. _Maybe we could -_

"Someone's coming out!" Piccolo said suddenly.

The ship's door slid open, and two figures stepped out. One was tall and humanoid, wearing a long, flowing white cape; he had the stance and confidence of a seasoned fighter. Chiyo could see muscles bulging under the clothing he wore, but she wasn't impressed. Previous experience had taught her not to look at appearances for judgment; besides, wasn't it her own brother who defeated Cell at just nine years of age?

Accompanying the fighter was an odd-looking persona draped in flowing robes. He had weedy-looking arms and a wrinkled face with bulging eyes, with an expression that reminded Chiyo of a sheep, albeit an evil one.

"Dabra!" Kibito spat. "Bobbidi even has the king of the demon plane under his control…"

The Lord of Lords leaned over his ledge, trying to get a better look at the two people who had arrived from the ship.

"That spells trouble," he said, frowning. "He's the last one I expected to see."

"Which one is Dabra?" Chiyo asked, although she was sure she already knew the answer.

"The tall one," the Lord of Lords answered.

"Is he that tough?" Goku said thoughtfully.

"You don't become King of the demons through niceness. You may be the strongest in this world, but in the realm of evil he wins every contest."

"I'm, uh, feeling a little out-classed," Kuririn said weakly. "How 'bout I take the small one?"

"I'm guessing that's Bobbidi?" Gohan said.

"Indeed. Don't let his physical weakness fool you. After all, his magic turned even Dabra into his minion."

"Way to pick your opponents, Kuririn," Chiyo said with a grin.

"His magic can overpower such a foe as that?" Piccolo interrupted.

Kibito shook his head. "No…he manipulates the evil and greed already lurking in one's soul. Dabra is an ideal candidate. That's what makes Bobbidi's magic so dangerous; so many powerful beings under his sway. That's why you can't have any evil in your souls if you're going to fight him."

Chiyo found herself glancing at both Vegeta and Piccolo at Kibito's words. She had heard stories from her father and Kuririn of their attempts at dominating and destroying Earth. What if there was still evil in their hearts? If Bobbidi could control them, would they turn on their friends?

"We hadn't counted on Dabra being here," Lord of Lords muttered. "This makes things very difficult."

"You don't think we can beat him?" Vegeta sneered.

Chiyo glared at the Saiyan, but the Lord of Lords said nothing.

"Fine." Vegeta drew himself up. "Forget that. I'm not losing to them."

"Kuririn," Goku said. "You should go back. It's too dangerous."

The little man shrugged. "Maybe I should…I mean if I won't be any use..."

"I'd hate to think what your wife would do to me if I let anything happen to you," Goku said, grinning.

"Yeah, she does have a temper, but I still love her..."

_"Gyaaaarrrghhh!"_

The strangled scream rang out across the barren plain. Chiyo leaned over the rock, trying to see what was happening -

Spopovich was swelling like a grotesque balloon, limbs bloating and getting bigger and bigger...Chiyo could only watch in helpless disgust as the wizard Bobbidi waved his skinny arms and Spopovich began to scream; horrible, gurgling screams that were the last protests of a bloated oesophagus -

BOOM.

The possessed warrior exploded, showering purple blood and greying flesh everywhere. It was all Chiyo could do not to vomit on the spot; horrified and angry; she stared at the scene below as Yam leapt into the air, eyes bulging with terror, trying to get away.

Bobbidi said something to the alien-faced minion standing beside him, and the minion pointed his gloved hand at the escaping fighter. He wore a device over his hand not unlike the military guns Chiyo had seen on the TV.

He fired, and a blast of blue energy shot from the device and hit Yam.

The man exploded in a cloud of red smoke.

"They killed them!" Gohan said, watching in anger at the three below.

"They were but tools," the Lord of Lords said tersely. "Bobbidi seeks out the most powerful fighters, controls them and then when they are no longer useful, disposes of them like they're diseased animals.

"Do you see now, the evil we are up against? If he frees Boo he will destroy everyone...like he destroyed Yam and Spopovich."

Chiyo had a sudden vision of her mother's body expanding like a balloon, her little brother writhing on the ground...she shook her head to clear herself of the nightmarish image.

"Over my dead body," she said quietly.

Bobbidi and the alien minion went back inside the ship, but Dabra lingered. He seemed to be looking around, a little smirk pulling at his corners of his thin mouth.

"They know we're here!" Vegeta roared.

Then Dabra attacked.

Suddenly he appeared before the entire group, and Chiyo had one good glimpse of him before he landed before Kibito, his hand outstretched inches from his face. Chi gathered in his palm, and before anyone could react, he blasted Kibito. Chiyo felt Kibito's chi drop and vanish, and she knew he was dead.

"You...!" she said, but she was drowned out against Dabra's laughter.

Goku and Vegeta leapt for Dabra, but he dodged. Then to Chiyo's disgust, he spat at Kuririn. The spit landed on his shirt.

"Urgh!" Kuririn said, trying to wipe the saliva off his shirt. "Yuck!"

"Look out!" Lord of Lords shouted.

"You're mine!" Piccolo growled, and leapt. He was fast despite his size, but Dabra did nothing but spit at him. The saliva landed on his cape.

As the horrified fighters watched, a greyish colour spread from the spit on Kuririn's shirt. And as the little man held his hands up in surprise and fear, they turned rigid; his face began to freeze. It was happening to Piccolo too; he was soon frozen in position, mouth twisted in an expression of surprise.

Chiyo heard a roaring in her ears that almost blocked out the sound of Dabra's mocking laughter.

"You - you -" she spat, but couldn't find a word bad enough to call him. So she charged.

"NO!"

The girl barely heard her father's shout; she was racing toward Dabra with her full speed, and the smug grin on his face widened as he spat at her. The saliva splashed onto her shirt.

Chiyo didn't hesitate; she had been expecting Dabra to spit on her. Dark blue cloth tore as she ripped her shirt over her head and tossed it away from her as quick as she could. The shirt was turning to stone even as it fell, but she faced Dabra, quivering with rage.

"Why you...!"

She swung at him; he dodged the punch with a laugh of contempt that quickly turned to a cry of surprise as her follow up kick caught him in the fell to the ground with an explosion of shrapnel, and she rushed after him.

_"I'm gonna give you the pounding of a lifetime!"_

Goku, Vegeta, Gohan and the Lord of Lords watched from below.

"She's not a match for him!" the Lord of Lords said, frowning. "Foolish child…!"

"I don't know, she seems to be doing okay," Gohan commented, as Chiyo kicked Dabra in the face.

BOOM.

_"I'll teach you to spit on me!"_

"I've never seen Chiyo this mad before," Goku said, blinking up into the sky.

"Oh no you don't!" Chiyo shouted, as Dabra made to get away. But it was too late. He dodged her fist and fled towards the ship. Seconds later and he was gone.

Chiyo made to go after him, but an iron grip on her wrist stopped her.

"Don't be an idiot!" Vegeta snapped. "Try holding a thought in your damn head for one moment."

Chiyo glanced over her shoulder at the ship. Dabra would be inside now, probably deep within the bowels of the ship. But Vegeta was right. To go running off half-cocked would be a bad idea.

Piccolo and Kuririn were entirely stone now, frozen like grotesque statues.

"Are they dead?" she whispered, reaching out a hand.

"Don't touch them," Lord of Lords warned. "If you break them, we can't put them back together."

"Can we change them back?" Goku asked.

"Yes, but there's only one way. Dabra must die."

"Oh good," Chiyo said cheerily. "That's the easy part."

Lord of Lords stared at her in amazement.

"Wh-what do you mean, the easy part?" he said finally, after gaping at her for half a minute.

But Chiyo only grinned.


	57. Bobbidi's Secrets

**Chapter 57 - Bobbidi's Secrets**

"So...what are we gonna do?"

Gohan, Goku, Vegeta, Chiyo and The Lord of Lords stood staring over the rocky ledge with the statues of Piccolo and Kuririn looming behind.

"Go after them, of course," Chiyo replied. "If Dabra has to die for Piccolo and Kuririn to change back, then that's what we have to do."

"Don't be foolish," The Lord of Lords snapped. "There is much more at stake here than avenging your friends."

"Bu it makes sense," Chiyo argued. "Cut off Bobbidi's strongest warrior and he only gets weaker -"

"If you believe the King of the demon world is so easy to kill -"

"Dad," Gohan interrupted. "What do you think?"

The others fell silent. Goku turned and looked at the frozen faces of Kuririn, his best friend; and Piccolo, his former enemy; for a long moment.

"What are we waiting for?" he said. "Let's go!"

Gohan, Chiyo, Vegeta and Goku left the rocky plateau and came to land outside the entrance to Bobbidi's ship. The door slid open as they approached; inside was nothing but a hole in the floor.

"OK, looks like we go through here," Gohan said, peering into the hole.

The room below was circular and bare - and empty.

"Where are we?" Goku asked, scratching his head. "An empty room…?"

"There's a door over there," Gohan asked, indicating the only exit. "Let's break it down!"

The Lord of Lords dropped from the hole in the ceiling and landed lightly near Chiyo.

"So you did come!" Goku said.

"I can't abandon you to your own idiocy," the Lord of Lords said tersely.

No sooner than he had spoken, there was a hiss of air and a panel slid over the hole in the ceiling, leaving them in a closed chamber.

"Now we won't be able to leave the ship," The Lord of Lords continued. "Not at least, until we destroy Bobbidi."

Goku shrugged. "Well, it is what we came to do."

"Hmmph." Vegeta scowled at the Lord of Lords. "We'll destroy this thing if we have to!"

"No! That will wake the djinn!" The The Lord of Lords rounded on the others, his voice rising. "Even if he doesn't have all the energy he needs, he'll still be able to kill us and destroy the planet!"

There was silence for a moment, and then Chiyo spoke tentatively.

"Vegeta, if you blow up the ship then we'll be digging ourselves out for weeks..."

"Feh," Vegeta said again, but he didn't move.

At that moment, the door slid open. Behind it was the alien minion of Bobbidi who had killed Yam - this time without his gun.

"About time someone showed up," Chiyo muttered.

"Welcome, fellow warriors," the alien said, "Master Bobbidi is on the bottom floor. However, you can't go any further until you defeat me – Pocus!"

He began to laugh, but it quickly died away when he noticed the Saiyans staring blankly at him.

"Um..." Goku said finally, glancing at his companions. "So, how do we decide who fights first?"

"How about we decide with _Janken?_" Chiyo suggested.

Goku and Gohan exchanged grins. _Janken_ had been something of a fad with Chiyo when she was younger; in those times, the years before the arrival of the Androids; it was not uncommon to be ambushed in the bathroom, the kitchen and in bed at dawn with demands for games of _Janken_ (and colossal tantrums if refused).

"Rock...scissors...paper!"

"Paper...rock...scissors! Damn it..."

"Paper...er, rock - rock! Ah ha ha, not so good now, eh Kakarrot?"

Vegeta stepped forward to face Pocus.

"Ha!" he cackled. "Master Bobbidi told me to be careful…but they're fools!"

"Bobbidi's the fool," Vegeta said, smirking. "He should know not to pick a fight without doing his research. He's just taken on the strongest beings in existence."

"Strongest in…?" Pocus laughed. "You're insane!"

The Lord of Lords said, "Don't underestimate him! The warriors Bobbidi has collected are – "

"Easy, easy," Goku interrupted, and patted him on the shoulder. "Vegeta's got him."

"There's no escape now!" Pocus cried. "The damage you suffer will be converted to energy…which will be channelled into Master Boo's shell!"

"Interesting." Vegeta grinned. "Then you won't get energy if you don't hurt me?"

Soon it was clear that Pocus was no match for Vegeta. Half a minute into the fight and Vegeta had landed several damaging blows on the alien. The Lord of Lords watched in surprise as the Saiyan pummelled his opponent.

"Uh…"

"What's wrong? Had enough?"

Vegeta was still toying with Pocus, enjoying the alien's frustration.

"Hurry up and finish it already," Chiyo said under her breath.

Suddenly, the room vanished. They were standing on a rocky plain with a black, starry sky above them. Chiyo felt a subtle shift in gravity, but it didn't affect her; the Room of Spirit and Time had gravity ten times' that of Earth.

"What happened?" Gohan asked. "Where are we?"

"Bobbidi did this," The Lord of Lords replied; he too seemed unaffected by the sudden change in gravity. "He magically transported the room…probably to where the enemy has the advantage!"

"This is the end for you!" Pocus shouted, his speech slurred from a swollen lip. "The gravity here is ten times' that of Earth! And I grew up here!"

Vegeta laughed. "Now, really. Do you think the gravity means anything to me?"

"You're bluffing."

"Maybe I am. Hard to tell."

Pocus struck out with his fist, but Vegeta punted him into a rock. "Do you still think so?"

It was all over in a second. Pocus exploded in the midst of a chi blast from Vegeta, littering the ground with ashes.

"Alright!" Gohan cheered.

"Bobbidi sent us a boring one," Vegeta grumbled.

"Look! A hole opened up!"

The group dropped down the open shaft in the ground and landed neatly in the next room. It was identical to the room above.

"My turn to fight next!" Goku said cheerfully, as he began to stretch. "I wonder who's behind that door? I hope he's tough enough for me!"

Chiyo wasn't sure how much time had passed, but she and the others were beginning to grow impatient. Where Pocus had arrived in the other room with little delay, Battle Stage 2's door remained firmly closed.

"Hey come on!" Goku shouted. "Hurry up!"

Vegeta, who was pacing impatiently, snorted. "This is ridiculous. Let's just destroy the floor and drop down!"

"No!" The Lord of Lords said. "As I said, Boo will awaken even if he's not yet at full power!"

"I'll bet this Boo isn't much to speak of either!" Vegeta snarled. "Like Dabra."

"What do you mean?" the Lord of Lords asked, staring at the Saiyan.

"I'm saying Dabra's not as terrible as you think. We saw him outside, and we could easily have handled him as long as we dodged his saliva. Kibito was just incompetent, that's all."

"I agree," Chiyo said, shooting Vegeta an annoyed glare. "I mean, I don't think Kibito was incompetent. But when I was fighting Dabra, I didn't think he was anything I couldn't handle."

The Lord of Lords turned to Goku. "Is this true?"

"Yeah, at the level we are now. He would've been bad news before, though. There was a guy named Cell seven years ago…I guess they're about the same." Goku snorted impatiently. "Hey, I said hurry up! It's my turn now!"

The door opened.

Chiyo's first impression was that of a very large and very ugly Piccolo, but as the creature stepped into the light all thoughts of any Namekian-related aliens were banished from her mind. The monster was more like a dinosaur. Drooling, eyes rolling, it stomped towards Goku, who looked bewildered and disgusted. Behind her she heard the Lord of Lords gasp.

"Yakon!"

"Excuse me?" Chiyo said, raising her eyebrows.

"Er, he sure is ugly," Gohan muttered.

The Lord of Lords frowned. "That is Yakon, the magical beast. Goku may not be able to defeat him on his own."

"Oh, I don't know," Gohan replied. "Dad can take care of himself."

Yakon leapt for Goku, who dodged at once. Chiyo observed that despite his size, Yakon was fast - but so was Goku. Even so, after several blows had been traded Yakon managed to get in a hit. Goku barely avoided it, but the monster's sharp claws cut through his shirt effortlessly.

"Man!" Goku said, fingering the torn cloth. "That was close!"

Yakon's roar of laughter echoed around the circular room.

"So he's big, but he's fast," Gohan observed.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you," The Lord of Lords said impatiently. "Goku won't be able to defeat him. We must strike together!"

"Oh, that won't be necessary," Gohan said cheerily. "Dad'll be fine by himself."

_"Good work, Yakon!"_

The chamber was suddenly ringing with a strange voice; squeaky and shrill, it stopped just short of irritating Chiyo's ears.

_"I knew I could count on you,"_ the voice continued. _"You can kill them all except the Lord of Lords! Take their energy! Then Boo will return to us!"_

So, it was the magician Bobbidi who was speaking.

_"To end it more quickly, I'll take you to your favourite place – the Dark Planet!"_

Then the room went black.


	58. Beto

**Chapter 57 - Beto-Beto**

The Dark Planet was an appropriate name for wherever Bobbidi had sent them. The dark was absolute; Chiyo couldn't even see her hand before her face, but she could sense her companions' chi - and hear Yakon's laughter.

"Welcome to the Dark Planet," he boomed. "You can't see me, but I can see you..."

"He seems at home in this place," Gohan said.

"He was born in this place," The Lord of Lords replied.

Chiyo closed her eyes and not for the first time truly appreciated her ability to sense chi. Yakon's chi glowed murkily and she pictured his hulking form in her mind.

Then he moved.

Goku's brightly coloured chi shifted, and Chiyo could almost see them fighting. A sudden explosion of dust and shrapnel confirmed what she had already sensed: Goku had dealt Yakon a hard blow.

"Can any of you tell what is going on?" The Lord of Lords asked.

"Yes," Vegeta replied gruffly. "Kakarrot is winning."

Silence fell, except for the sound of Yakon's deep breathing. Rock shards clattered across the ground as he crawled from the wreckage of what must have been a formation of some kind, or perhaps a mountain.

"You can see in the dark?" Yakon said.

"No," came Goku's voice from somewhere to Chiyo's left. "Even in the dark I can tell what you're doing by feeling the flow of tiny air currents! Plus, there are other ways to see you…"

Goku's chi soared, and there was an explosion of golden light; he had transformed into Super Saiyan.

Although it had been seven years since Chiyo had seen her father transform, it never failed to impress her and frighten her at the same time. Although the golden hair and green eyes made a Saiyan beautiful in an odd way, the transformation seemed to reveal something of their baser nature.

"Pretty impressive, right?" Gohan said proudly.

The Lord of Lords said nothing.

"Do you get it now?" Goku said. "Making it dark won't get you anywhere!"

"Yes…I see," Yakon said.

Then his drooling mouth opened, and there was a rushing sound. Goku's transformation suddenly dissipated, leaving the area pitch black yet again.

For a moment there was complete silence, broken only by Goku's grunt of bewilderment.

The monster Yakon laughed and, to Chiyo's disgust, belched.

"Mmm," he rumbled. "That was delicious! I've never eaten such filling light!"

"Of course!" The Lord of Lords said. "Yakon consumes light energy – Goku's Super Saiyan energy is the perfect food."

_No kidding,_ Chiyo thought, blinking furiously as spots danced before her eyes. _If he keeps on like that he could drain even Papa..._

"Dad, don't go Super Saiyan," Gohan called. "He eats light energy!"

"You heard right," the creature said, laughing. "I'd love another helping if you'll oblige."

"Okay," Goku said. "I'll give it to you!"

Vegeta snorted. "What on Earth is Kakarrot doing now?"

"No Dad, I'll fight too!" Gohan said. "Then you won't have to be a Super Saiyan!"

"Stay back! I'm gonna handle this myself!"

Chiyo rolled her eyes.

_Boys!_ She thought. No wonder her mother was always getting frustrated with them.

"Leave it, Gohan," she said. "Papa's not beaten yet."

"Hooray for morons!" Yakon rumbled, as Goku transformed again. "I'm gonna eat my fill!"

"He _is_ being stupid!" the Lord of Lords cried, frustrated. "Why do you all insist on fighting alone? This isn't a game!"

"No," Vegeta replied. "Kakarrot is not stupid. He must have a plan."

_Oh?_ Chiyo thought, turning her head in the direction of Vegeta's voice. _Didn't you think him stupid once?_

Once again Yakon's mouth opened and he began to suck in air. The golden light from Goku's Super Saiyan transformation disappeared into his mouth, but the light did not dissipate. Goku held on, planting his feet in the ground and hunching over.

_He must have ascended like Gohan_, Chiyo thought, watching with pride as Yakon began to swell with the light energy he was eating.

Then Goku's chi flared, and Yakon suddenly stopped gulping energy. In the dim light Chiyo could see his mouth bulging and sweat forming on his slimy brow. His clawed hands began to scrabble at his body, which was swelling and swelling -

BOOM.

Yakon exploded, showering the area with gobs of flesh that the group barely managed to avoid. The light from Goku's Super Saiyan transformation showed a hole that had opened in the floor.

The next room looked exactly the same as the one above, but Chiyo was used to that.

"Whose turn is it to fight?" Gohan asked.

"Mine!" Chiyo replied cheerfully, and began to stretch. They would probably take a while to bring out the next fighter, so she took her time loosening her muscles.

"I'm kind of excited," she said as she stretched, grinning. "It's been a while since I've had a challenging fight. I hope this one is enough."

"What?" Gohan demanded, looking offended. "Aren't I challenging enough for you?"

"You've gotten rusty, big brother," she teased, poking him in the stomach. "Maybe if you did more training and less study!"

"Hey, that's not -"

Gohan stopped as there was a sudden hissing sound. The door slid open with a _whoosh and _a blue liquid poured out.

_How on Earth did water get in here?_ Chiyo wondered, stepping forward. She couldn't see anyone beyond the door, just the fluid oozing its way across the floor. Now that she was closer, it looked more like half-melted jelly than anything.

"Well, at least we didn't have to wait long," Gohan commented.

"Yeah, but where's the fighter?" Chiyo stepped forward, craning her neck to see further inside the entrance. The fluid was spreading gently across the metal floor...was it her imagination, or did it seem to speed up a little?

"Come on!" she called, standing on tip-toes. "Isn't anybody there?"

"Look out!" The Lord of Lords shouted.

The fluid shot upwards in a wave; emitting a strange, bubbly roar, it was heading straight for Chiyo.

But the Saiyan girl was faster. She leapt aside, back-flipping clear of the gel-like fluid.

She could see now that the fluid was more like a creature, with two bulging, rolling eyes set in the centre of its body - which looked more like jelly than anything.

"What the heck is that?"

"Its name is Beto," The Lord of Lords replied grimly. "It's a monster that engulfs its prey alive. I've heard of it before."

"Right..."

Chiyo leapt out of the way as Beto flowed toward her, roaring; she caught the monster with an elbow to the head, a kick to the gut - or whatever passed for his gut - and finished by smashing her fists down on his head.

_Take that, you disgusting thing_, she thought, watching Beto squirm on the floor, roaring.

The marks of her fists and feet clearly showed on his body, but as the group watched in astonishment, Beto's body spread out, quivering, and returned to his regular state.

"Beto-Beto has the ability to absorb damage because of its body," The Lord of Lords said. "He's a difficult opponent. I don't know if Son Chiyo can beat him."

_We'll see about that_! Chiyo thought indignantly, turning her back on the The Lord of Lords.

"Naw, she'll be fine," she heard her father reply. "Chiyo's pretty tough."

Chiyo landed and circled around the monster Beto, taking the time to observe him. While his body seemed to be made up of a blue, gelatinous substance, she could see a flash of red within the centre of him.

In that moment, she knew what she had to do. And it wasn't going to be pretty.

Gohan watched his younger sister circle the gelatinous Beto.

_She really has improved in seven years_, he thought. _I guess I haven't been paying much attention to what she does during the day._

The fluid monster suddenly shifted, and from his body shot an appendage not unlike a tongue. Chiyo barely had time to move before it wrapped around her forearm and pulled her closer.

"Hey, watch out!" Gohan called.

But it was too late. With a strange, bubbling laugh, Beto-Beto wrapped another of its tentacles around Chiyo's leg and pulled her inside. Her small form disappeared inside the monster's body.

"Chiyo!" The Lord of Lords exclaimed.

"No!" Gohan said. "Chiyo - I'm coming!" He rushed forward, but Goku caught his arm.

"Don't be so worried," he said.

"What?"

"Chiyo has a plan," Goku continued. "Can't you feel her chi still?"

Gohan focused on his sister's chi. Sure enough, it was still there, within Beto-Beto's gelatinous body. The monster was wobbling on the spot, his gurgling laughter sounding from deep inside his belly.

"Why are you doing nothing?" the The Lord of Lords demanded. "Chiyo has been swallowed by Beto!"

"She's fine," Goku replied calmly. "Look, right there – Beto's body."

Then as Gohan and the Lord of Lords stared, a golden light began to grow within the fluid monster's body. Beto-Beto's eyes bulged and he began to gurgle.

BOOM!

The monster exploded, covering the room with blue ooze. And at the centre of the explosion stood Chiyo, perfectly unharmed, Super Saiyan and screaming. There was a blast of hot air and a surge of chi; the body of Beto-Beto evaporated in her _Masenko_ blast.

"Alright Chiyo!" Gohan cheered.

Chiyo took deep gulps of air as she lowered her chi. She glanced around at what was left of Beto, shuddered and began to pick bits of gel out of her hair.

"That wasn't an experience I'd like to repeat."

A heavy hand fell on her shoulder. Goku was grinning down at her.

"Well done," he said. "I can see you learned to control your Super Saiyan transformation."

"Naw, that happened years ago," Chiyo replied, glowing at the praise.

"Hey, the floor's open," Gohan interrupted.

"Let's go."

Sure enough, the circular panel in the floor had opened, exposing another tunnel beneath. On the next floor, the room was again identical - but as this was to be expected, it held no surprise for them.

"It's my turn next!" Gohan said enthusiastically, and began to stretch.

"All these stages are the same," Chiyo murmured, examining the walls of the room. "I wonder why."

"Get used to it," Vegeta replied. "I have a feeling we'll be here for a while."

Chiyo shrugged, and then turned to observe Gohan as he began to warm up. She knew (or at least suspected) that her brother hadn't trained at all in the seven years since the Cell Game. But then again Gohan had never really wanted to be a fighter, she thought, he had preferred study. Even so, you could never afford to slack off.

"Goku, listen to me," The Lord of Lords said, interrupting her thoughts. "This is not a game. Bobbidi's henchmen are incredibly strong. I think we should all fight together from now on."

"Naw, don't worry 'bout it," Goku replied cheerfully. "Gohan doesn't need help. Besides, that would be unfair."

"Unfair?" The Lord of Lords repeated hesitantly, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Yeah. Everyone else had their own fights, so it would be unfair if Gohan didn't get a turn."

"Yeah, I can handle myself," Gohan said a few moments after the Lord of Lords's bewildered lapse into silence. "It is getting late though...I wonder how long Bobbidi is going to keep us here?"

"Don't worry, they're just trying to find someone to fight you," Goku reassured him. "I wonder how everyone at the Budoukai is doing."

"Heh, yeah, we did leave them in a situation..."

"I would have preferred to fight you at the Budoukai," Vegeta growled. "This has been a waste of my time."

Gohan cracked his knuckles. "I wanted to fight Dad at the Budoukai too. Right sis?"

"Yeah," Chiyo replied absently.

"Well, I'll take on all three of you," Goku said, smirking. "Any time, anywhere..."

Chiyo smiled at him. "Is that a challenge?"

"You bet!"

Another hour crawled by, and Chiyo felt herself becoming irritated and uneasy by the enforced confinement.

_I wonder if Bobbidi actually has anyone left to fight_, she thought, _or is he just stalling us?_

Then she remembered Dabra, and her chest tightened in apprehension.

"I'm tired of waiting!" Vegeta exploded, striding towards the door. "I'm breaking the door!"

"NO!" The Lord of Lords cried. "Whatever you do, you mustn't create a shock!"

Chiyo rolled her eyes, sighing. Vegeta had been wound-up and tense the last half an hour or so - she was surprised he had lasted this long before another outburst.

"The Lord of Lords is right," she said, glaring at Vegeta. "We can't do anything but wait."

"Who do they think they are?" Vegeta roared. "Keeping us here! Come on!"

But he stepped away from the door and sat down, muttering under his breath.

"I wonder who they're going to send out next," Gohan said presently into the silence. "It's kind of exciting."

"I can't wait to see how you've progressed," Goku said, smiling. "You been training?"

Chiyo glanced at Gohan, who suddenly looked very embarrassed.

"Well," he said hesitantly, "I'm not quite as strong as I was then."

"He took peace as an excuse to slack off," Vegeta sneered. "Of course, we never know what may happen when he gets mad."

"Heh heh...well..."

"Didn't think so."

"Stop it, Vegeta," Chiyo replied, as Gohan flushed red. "Not everyone wants to be a fighter."

Vegeta opened his mouth for a scathing reply, but at that moment the door opened.

Chiyo turned and watched as the door slid open slowly. Her heart sank as the fighter behind was revealed -

Dabra.


	59. Gohan vs Dabra

**Chapter 59 - Gohan vs. Dabra**

"_Whatever a man's actions are, such must be his spirit."_

- Demosthenes, Third Olynthiac

"Dabra!"

The The Lord of Lords's voice echoed strangely in the round chamber. There was a moment's silence as the demon king looked the fighters up and down.

Chiyo had fought Dabra outside the ship only an hour or two ago. It was an impulsive battle, fuelled by her anger at Kibito's murder and her friends being turned to stone. In her normal state she had dominated over him, but Gohan...how would he fare?

_He_ is _Super Saiyan level 2_, she reminded herself. _But still..._

"You've defeated Yakon and reached stage three," Dabra said in his bass tone, smirking at them. "Not bad for humans. Miraculous, in fact. But this is as far as you go. You'll have to deal with me now."

Chiyo shifted, and the demon lord caught her eye. In his gaze, he saw fear.

"Ho. If the top dog is showing up already, Bobbidi must be getting nervous," Vegeta sneered, ever the confident one.

"Hmph," Dabra said haughtily, "Talk is for pretenders. Come at me, all of you."

Gohan stepped forward. "No way! It's my turn!"

"What? Do you think you can make a fool of me?"

"This is too small a place," Gohan continued, as if he hadn't heard Dabra at all. "We should fight outside, maybe in the mountains."

"Quiet," Dabra snapped. "You will fight me here and now."

_"Wait, Dabra!"_

That shrill voice again - Bobbidi the wizard was interrupting.

_"It may not be a bad idea to pick another location for the fight. To revive Boo, we will need my ship intact."_

The circular chamber vanished again, and a rush of wind cooled Chiyo's cheeks. They were standing in a mountainous area that must have been close to the ship - a familiar rocky plateau towered over the horizon. The sun was low in the sky.

"Gohan, stay focused," Goku instructed.

"Okay."

Glancing at Dabra waiting nearby, Chiyo felt a sudden sense of dread weighing heavy on her chest.

"Gohan!" she said, grabbing Gohan's arm as he made to leave. He glanced at her quizzically.

Chiyo hesitated. Be careful, remember your training, stay focused...none of those words seemed appropriate all of a sudden. She was struck by how much he looked like their father, even down to the slightly impatient look on his face.

"Nothing," she said, dropping his arm. "Nothing at all."

Gohan shrugged. A moment later he reached out with a calloused hand and messed up her hair. "If you say so, squirt."

Chiyo laughed and shoved him away. "Get going, Gohan, or we'll be late for dinner."

Gohan met Dabra a good distance away from the entrance to Bobbidi's spaceship - which, oddly enough, had been transported with them. The teenager crouched into an opening stance. Dabra stood like a statue, arms folded.

Gohan attacked.

Like the battles fought previously that day, Chiyo had no trouble keeping up with Dabra and Gohan as they traded blows. She could see every punch and kick, every parry; the chi sparking a blow connected or flaring as they dodged. It was a beautiful thing to watch, battle - Chiyo thought of it as a deadly dance between foes; although she would never tell such nonsense to her father and brothers.

There was a sudden flare of chi and Gohan turned Super Saiyan.

"Finally, we'll get to see a real test," Vegeta commented. "Let's see how Dabra fares against a Super Saiyan."

"Yeah, it always makes things interesting."

Gohan knocked the demon king down with blows to the gut, face and neck. Dabra seemed unfazed; he responded with a punch that sent tremours running through the ground.

"Amazing," the Lord of Lords said.

"You ain't seen nothin' yet!" Goku said proudly.

This time it was Dabra who raised his chi. Lightning of a lurid green colour crackled around his body, and his chi soared.

_He's probably on the same level as Cell,_ Chiyo thought, as he and Gohan resumed fighting. _Which means I'm not sure_ _Gohan_ _can beat him..._

She thought back to her fight with Dabra. His style had been direct and strange, evidence of his demon heritage, but strangely similar to their Piccolo's own odd style. Seven years ago Chiyo had trained with Piccolo for a year in the Room Of Spirit and Time. It had been the hardest thing she'd ever had to do, and being a mere girl of five it had nearly broken her. But she came out with new skills and an understanding of the _'ma'_ - the demon - style.

"Gohan, remember your training," Chiyo murmured. "Remember those days with Piccolo..."

"What did you say?" Goku asked, but an almighty splash turned their heads. Chiyo clenched her fists reflexively as she saw Dabra floating over a massive lake in their battle area, smirking. If Gohan had been knocked out...! Not even a Saiyan could prevent drowning if they were under long enough.

But to Chiyo's relief, her brother's chi flared and began to climb; moments later she saw pinpoints of yellow light growing under the murky surface of the lake.

_Gohan, what are you doing?_ she thought, frowning. _You know that won't work on Dabra._

Sure enough, the Demon King dodged the twin blasts that exploded from the water. Gohan wasn't as quick; he was hit directly in the chest and propelled back into the water.

"Gohan!" Goku said, frowning as his son went back under. Vegeta was silent, but he glowered at Dabra from under black brows. Chiyo's heart was in her throat.

"Dabra is far stronger than Yakon, Beto or Pocus," The Lord of Lords said grimly.

"So is Gohan," Chiyo replied quietly.

Gohan rose from the lake yet again, his face a mask of frustration. His green tunic was torn to shreds. He tossed it away, and began to battle Dabra again.

"So he uses magic, huh?" Goku said. "He's tougher than I thought."

"He still shouldn't have this much trouble with him. Pathetic," Vegeta spat. "Gohan was stronger when he was a kid."

He looked utterly furious, probably because he wasn't in the fight, Chiyo thought. She too was angry, but at her brother.

_Vegeta's right!_ She raged silently. _Gohan,_ _why did you give up on fighting? All that potential...!_

"He really has been slacking!" Goku said, and looked at his son in surprise. "Hey Chiyo, how much training has he done since the Cell Game?"

"Not a lot," Chiyo replied thoughtfully. "He was good at first, but he started slacking off after a few years. I don't think he really likes fighting."

"I'm losing patience," Vegeta growled.

Chiyo shrugged and turned back to the battle. Gohan was rushing at Dabra, one fist outstretched.

Vegeta was right – it was plain to see that Gohan had lost his edge over the years. She knew he preferred study over fighting (though whether that was from their mother's influence or his own nature, she wasn't sure), but she hadn't paid much attention to what his days consisted of before he started high school. She'd been busy with her life, and Gohan had his own. He wasn't a kid anymore.

Still, she couldn't help feeling a little apprehensive as she watched him rush towards Dabra. Then she saw the demon king raise his head and spit at him.

"Watch out!" the Lord of Lords shouted.

Gohan brought up his hand and the saliva splashed onto his glove. He immediately ripped it off and threw it away. The glove fell on the ground and cracked.

But Dabra wasn't done yet. He raised his hand and a sword suddenly appeared. He attacked Gohan with it, the blade whistling towards his head –

Gohan's hands flew up and he grabbed the blade. There was a moment of struggle as the two men – one human, one demon – fought to overpower the other's strength. Then Gohan gave a great, "Hyah!" and bent it sideways. The blade snapped and fell in shards into the ocean.

"Now I'm annoyed!" Vegeta said, as Gohan and Dabra faced off. "I'll finish it for him!"

"C'mon Vegeta, let him do it! He's still got a chance!"

"I don't care about any of this!" Vegeta shouted, startling Chiyo. He stabbed a finger at Goku. "I just want to get it over with and fight y_ou!_ That's why I went to that stupid tournament!"

There was a pause. Dabra was looking at them with a strange expression on his face. Chiyo was about to wonder why he was staring at them when the world around them suddenly vanished.

They were back on Bobbidi's ship, in the same room they'd previously been in. Disoriented, it took Chiyo several moments to figure out just what had happened. Everyone was there including Gohan, looking just as confused as she.

Dabra, who had appeared with them, landed and made for the door.

"Hey!" Gohan said. "Are you running away?"

The demon king stopped, turned around, and grinned.

"Running away?" he said. "No. I just don't need to mess with you – because I've found the perfect fighter!"

The door slid shut with a soft hiss and silence fell.

"What did he say?" Gohan asked, confused.

The Lord of Lords frowned.

"I'm not sure," he muttered. "He said he found a fighter..."

Chiyo felt suddenly cold. Dabra had fled from her match with him outside, too. Was he a coward, or was he planning something with his master?

"Found?" Gohan said, frowning. "What does that mean…?"

The Lord of Lords stared at the ground thoughtfully, his pale brows drawn together.

"This whole thing would be over if it weren't for you!" Vegeta snapped at Gohan. "I hope you're satisfied."

"What?"

"I mean you disgraced us with that excuse of a battle!" the Saiyan roared. "You have Saiyan blood running through your veins, but it's no excuse for your fighting. Dabra should be dead! And you're sitting here wondering what to do next when it should already be over!"

"Vegeta -" Chiyo started, but he cut her off.

"The way of the warrior is to be strong and crush the weak! Your Piccolo and Kuririn got turned to stone because they were weaklings. Is that the kind of fate you want for yourself?"

"Hey, now don't go -"

"Look, Gohan didn't know Dabra was going to run off," Goku said, interrupting his daughter. "I'm sure he would have wanted us to fight too, if he stayed."

"Sure, there's a pleasant excuse," Vegeta snapped. "You're as soft as he is and I'm tired of playing around. I'm putting an end to this!"

A yellow ball of chi sprang into Vegeta's gloved hand.

"NO!" Chiyo shouted, throwing herself before him.

"Get out of the way!" Vegeta roared at her. "I'm going to blow this ship up!"

Goku sprang forward. "Don't! That would do more harm than good!"

"If you blow this ship up, Boo will wake up," the Lord of Lords cried. "Vegeta, please...you don't know Boo. His power is terrible. Not even the four Lords of Lords combined could stop him!"

"Shut up!"

"Don't be a fool!" The Lord of Lords shouted. "If Boo gets out he will destroy this planet!"

"Get out of the way, Chiyo!" Vegeta spat. "What happens to this planet is none of my concern! The strongest will find a way to survive, and the weaklings will perish!"

The Lord of Lords drew back as if he had been slapped.

"What kind of person are you?" he whispered.

"Stop it!" Chiyo cried. "Vegeta, what's gotten into you?"

"What's gotten into me? I refuse to wait any longer for Bobbidi and his minions to play around with us!"

"But you can't just -"

"This is your last warning," Vegeta screamed at her. "Get out of the way, or I'll blow _you_ up with the ship!"

A strong, brown hand, moving quicker than the eye could see, caught Vegeta's wrist and held it in an iron grip.

"Cut it out," Goku said, and his face no longer held any trace of his normal, carefree self. "You've gone far enough."

"Let go of me, Kakarrot!" Vegeta shouted.

"Enough. Fighting doesn't do us any good."

For a long moment the two Saiyans stood, their eyes locked. Then Vegeta tore his wrist out of Goku's grip and walked away. The yellow chi ball faded.

"Whatever."

Gohan and the Lord of Lords breathed a collective sigh of relief. Goku was staring after Vegeta, frowning. And Chiyo was shaking. All her life, she had never seen Vegeta act that way. When she was younger he had been belligerent and intolerant of the rest of the Z Fighters, but he had never been so..._evil_. The gleam in his eyes as he threatened to kill her made her shiver slightly. It was as if he were possessed...

Her heart turned to stone. Possessed by...no, it couldn't be...

"Aarrrrgghhhhh!"

There was a clang as Vegeta fell to his knees on the floor. He clutched his head, grunting in exertion, as Goku and Gohan made to approach him.

"Vegeta, what's wrong?"

"Something...attacking me," Vegeta gasped. "Inside...can't fight it..."

"Fight it!" The The Lord of Lords urged, kneeling beside the struggling Saiyan.

There was a burst of light as Vegeta transformed into a Super Saiyan, his grunts giving way to screams.

"What's happening to him?" Chiyo said, horrified.

"Bobbidi has no claim over him!" Goku said.

The Lord of Lords shook his head. "He's trying to control Vegeta's mind!"

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Gohan asked.

"No, he must choose for himself." The The Lord of Lords bent over Vegeta, who was clutching at his head so hard his fingers were digging into his scalp. "Bobbidi's trying to use the evil in you! Empty your mind! Don't think about anything!"

"Sh-shut up!" Vegeta rasped suddenly. "Don't…order me!"

Red lightning sparked around the Saiyan's bent body, and Goku pulled Chiyo away.

"Don't let them control you!" Gohan said urgently, springing forward. "Don't - argh!"

A bolt of the sickly red lightning knocked him back, almost clipping the Lord of Lords, who was also backing up.

"Are you okay?" Goku asked, helping his son up.

"Yeah..."

Chiyo watched with her heart in her mouth as Vegeta rose into the air, screaming, pinned by invisible bonds he could not break.

_There must be something we can do_, she thought desperately. _Something, anything -_

The Saiyan collapsed.

Gohan and Chiyo both made as if to move forward, but their father stopped them. He cast a wary look at Vegeta's prone form.

"Dad, talk to him," Gohan said.

"Vegeta?"

Goku approached the Saiyan slowly, carefully. "We're here, it's okay," he said in a low voice. "We're going to help you get back to normal."

"Stop," the The Lord of Lords interrupted, shaking his head. "It's too late."

A deep chuckle made the group fall silent, and then Vegeta climbed to his feet. But it was a very different man who stood before them; transformed into Super Saiyan, but with veins bulging in his arms and neck. On his forehead was an intricately designed 'M', the twin of the ones on Spopovich's and Yam's foreheads.

"Look at his head," Gohan murmured. "The 'M'."

"That's Bobbidi's insignia," The Lord of Lords said grimly. "Vegeta was the perfect fighter Dabra was talking about."

Chiyo moved closer to her father, staring at the newly made Vegeta. Dabra she could have taken, but Vegeta? He had a lifetime's worth of fighting experience over her 13 years, and Gohan's...well, Gohan wouldn't be much help, she thought, rather unfairly. But Goku could.

The room suddenly swirled around them, and Chiyo's ears became filled with the sound of a crowd roaring. The wind whipped around her body and the faces of two vaguely familiar people materialized before her. She realised they were standing in the centre of the Budoukai arena.

_Why on Earth here?_ She thought, frowning at the dispersing crowd still sitting in the arena. She thought she could feel the chi of her mother, Bulma and several of her friends in the audience.

"Er, excuse me..." the announcer said faintly. "You're too late. The contest is over!"

"Shut up," Vegeta said coldly. "I'm only after Kakarrot. The rest can just blow away!"

Chiyo was disoriented from the sudden change in environment; the sudden rush of chi-fuelled wind caught her by surprise. She made to prevent Mr. Satan from falling out of the ring, but was too late, although Gohan managed to catch the tournament announcer.

"I won't," Vegeta murmured, his face contorting. "My goal...is to fight Kakarrot. The others are...nothing!"

"Vegeta," Goku said, frowning. "How could you?"

"It's time, Kakarrot!"

The Saiyan extended his finger, pointing at Goku's chest.

"No!"

Vegeta's hand extended in an open palm position. Then he blasted Goku.

To Chiyo's immense relief, Goku caught the chi in both hands. She could see him struggling with it, being pushed back farther and farther, sweating -

_No, Papa, don't let go_, she thought._ Don't let go - _

Too late. Goku fell backwards, unable to hold the chi any longer, and the blast hit the arena stand.

Part of the arena exploded in a roar of sound and exploding shrapnel. Chiyo cried out in horror as fifty people died, their chi snuffed out in a second. Vegeta turned around and blasted another section of the stadium, and a hundred more people died.

"VEGETA!" she screamed.


	60. Evil Begets Vegeta

**Chapter 60 - Evil Begets Vegeta**

"No, don't do this! Please don't do this!"

Chiyo was unaware that she had spoken aloud. Her stare fixated on the gaping hole blown in the side of the arena. It was pandemonium; dying people were everywhere, others were scattering like panicked ants. Chi flickered and faded like candlelight; screams and moans rent the air.

Chiyo searched for the chi of her family and friends - those who had been in the seats - and found them all unharmed. She could have cried out of sheer relief.

Goku stood very still, staring at his one-time rival. In the background came a deep, wavering voice.

"H-hey, I-I'm afraid I can't l-let you d-do this...! I-I'm the champion of th-th-the world!"

Vegeta began to laugh. It was a savage, deep-throated sound, like an animal cry. Chiyo felt sick with revulsion. If this was what a Saiyan was like, she would rather be anything but.

"Wh-why are you l-laughing? I'm th-the - "

"Shut up!" Vegeta growled. "Shall we begin, Kakarrot?"

"This isn't the time, Vegeta," Goku said finally.

Vegeta laughed again. "You will fight with me. Unless you want to add more corpses to the pile, that is!"

Goku's eyes widened, but it was several long moments before he spoke.

"Vegeta, did you..."

Vegeta grinned.

"How sad," Goku said quietly. "You let Bobbidi control you on purpose."

"Dad, don't..."

Vegeta raised his hand.

BOOM!

Another section of the arena exploded and Chiyo closed her eyes to the carnage. However, she couldn't block out the dying chi of another fifty people.

Goku clenched his fists.

"Stop it!" she shouted. "Just stop it!"

She made to move forward, but a rush of chi-fuelled wind swept her off her feet. She landed hard on her back a few metres from the edge of the ring.

"Stay back!" Vegeta roared, as Gohan took a step forward with his face screwed up in anger. "This is between me and Kakarrot!"

Gohan glanced at Vegeta, turned, and went to help Chiyo up.

"Are you okay?"

"No," she replied flatly.

There was a surge of chi and Goku transformed into Super Saiyan.

"Goku, don't do it!" the The Lord of Lords cried, speaking for the first time. "This is what Bobbidi wants! He'll absorb your energy and wake Boo!"

"Vegeta, you surrendered to Bobbidi's spell on purpose to make me fight," Goku interrupted. "Am I right?"

"What?" Gohan demanded.

"If I hadn't, I'd never get to fight you," Vegeta said. "After today you're leaving this world forever."

The Lord of Lords stared back and forth between the Saiyans, his dark eyes sparking.

"Just to fight him?" he repeated. "Are you that insane…?"

"_Insane?_" Vegeta screamed, and his chi soared. "You think this is insane? Who cares about Boo! This is what I live for!"

"He surpassed me! He's Saiyan just like me, but he far out-stripped me. Me! The prince! The strongest of them all!" Vegeta stabbed a gloved finger at Goku. "Once he even saved my life! I can't stand that - I can't!"

_Papa, don't_, Chiyo thought, but her father's set face told her exactly what he was going to do.

"Bobbidi!" he shouted. "Take us someplace where there's no people! Then I'll fight him!"

"No!" Chiyo said. "Dad, what about the - "

"Be quiet, Chiyo!" Goku snapped, not taking his eyes off Vegeta. "This doesn't concern you."

This time it was the Lord of Lords who moved forward, planting himself in between the two Saiyan.

"Wait," he said grimly. "You'll have to defeat me first."

There was a long moment of silence, then Goku raised his hand to the Lord of Lords.

"Dad!" Chiyo gasped. Goku ignored her.

The Lord of Lords stared at the Saiyan with his mouth open, but Goku stayed, his hand glowing with chi. Finally, he stepped aside.

"All right," he muttered. "Do as you wish."

"I'm sorry," Goku said. The Lord of Lords said nothing.

The arena disappeared.

They were back in the middle of nowhere, a barren plain with no sound but the whistling of the wind. Chiyo figured they were probably not too far away from where they were previously.

"Fight it out to your heart's content," the The Lord of Lords said, stepping towards the closed hatch set into the ground. "Son Gohan, Son Chiyo and I will break through this entrance and go to fight Bobbidi and Dabra.

"Boo may be awakened by this shock, but we can't help it." The Lord of Lords drew back his fist. "It will be better than if he reaches full power with the energy he'll absorb from you."

Suddenly, Vegeta bent over with a grunt of pain. The others glanced back to watch him as he struggled against restraints they couldn't see.

"I - I will not!" he gasped after a moment. "They have nothing to do…with my battle!"

_He must be fighting against Bobbidi_, Chiyo realised, watching Vegeta grunt and clutch at his head. Veins bulged on his forehead and sweat rolled down his face, but he shook his head.

"I...And I say this…I only want to fight Kakarrot," he grunted. "I…am the proud…prince of the Saiyans!"

His chi suddenly spiked, and bolts of blue electricity exploded around him.

"I will never be your servant!" he roared. "You may take over my body and soul - but not my pride!"

"You'd better hurry up," Goku said grimly, after Vegeta's shouts subsided. "Get going."

Suddenly, the hatch in the ground opened.

"Hey, he opened it for us!" Gohan said, staring down at the circular room below.

"He doesn't want us to destroy the ship," the Lord of Lords replied.

"Bye, Dad!" Gohan said, turning back to his father. "We'll be back!"

"Wait," Goku said. "I still have two senzu seeds left. You should eat one - you've used up a lot of stamina."

"Thanks."

Gohan took the proffered seed and popped it into his mouth. Chiyo crinkled her nose, remembering how vile they tasted. Still, they were nothing short of a miracle.

"Get angry, Gohan," Goku said. "Remember the time you fought Cell, and bring out all the power you have." Gohan nodded. "You can't lose to anyone that way - anyone!"

"Okay." Gohan grimaced. "I'm sorry our one precious day turned out like this."

Goku smiled.

"And Chiyo," he said, turning to his daughter. "I know you're stronger than you've ever been. Fight with everything you have. Don't give up."

Chiyo stared at her father, frowning.

"Right," she said, and he smiled at her.

She shook her head and leapt into the shaft of Bobbidi's ship. The anger that she had felt for the hundreds of people killed earlier was still simmering on the surface, but she turned it on Goku. There was much more at stake than his and Vegeta's stupid rivalry.

_What would you have done?_ A little voice in the back of her mind said. _Would you have let him kill those people?_

Gohan and the Lord of Lords followed her into the shaft as they descended. The hatch in the room below was also open; the circular room empty.

The next room was different. Instead of being lit it was rather dark and shadowy. In the centre, a massive pink sphere stood on a raised platform, pulsing ominously. And before it stood Dabra and Bobbidi.

"Welcome," Bobbidi said, his odd face stretching into a malicious grin.

"This is it," the Lord of Lords said. "This is the tomb of the djinn Boo."

"Tomb, or prison?" Chiyo murmured.

"Welcome, Lord of Lords," Bobbidi said. "You, who killed my father."

"I've come to defeat you, Bobbidi - and stop Boo's awakening."

"I don't think that'll be so easy," Bobbidi said, smirking. "I have Dabra on my side."

"Like that's something to worry about," Chiyo muttered under her breath.

"Let's hurry," the The Lord of Lords instructed. "Boo may be absorbing energy as we speak. I will fight Bobbidi."

"Right," Gohan said tersely. Chiyo said nothing.

"There is still time before Boo reaches his full power, and we must strike now," the The Lord of Lords said seriously. "Hold nothing back. This creature must never see the light of day. The fate of your world depends on it."

"We know."

"Wait!" Bobbidi said. "Boo should reach full power soon. I don't want him to destroy the ship, so lets go to the surface." He waved his weedy arms in a strange motion. "_Pa-para-pa!_"

The ship disappeared - they were back on the barren plain, although Goku and Vegeta were nowhere to be seen.

"Just to make sure…Dabra, you can defeat these Earthlings, right?" Bobbidi asked.

"Of course," the Demon Lord replied, his dark gaze sweeping over Gohan and Chiyo. "I fought him earlier. It won't be hard to dispose of these little snots."

Chiyo laughed. Dabra flashed a glance at her.

"I'm glad you find your impending death amusing," he said.

"Nice bluff," Chiyo said, grinning. "Let's see how long you last against both of us!"

Dabra said nothing.

_I hope Gohan's up for the fight_, she thought, glancing at her brother as he transformed into Super Saiyan. She followed suit.

"Hear that, Lord of Lords?" Bobbidi sneered. "You can't kill me like you killed my daddy! I have far more magical power than him! And I have Dabra with me!"

"Let's do it, Gohan," Chiyo said.

Both half-Saiyans sprang forward, but a sudden pinging from Boo's sphere stopped them both in their tracks.

"Eh?" Bobbidi said, glancing back at the sphere. His bulging eyes widened. "Is it…a-already…he…"

"What's he talking about?" Gohan asked.

"He…he…he…" Bobbidi seemed to be unable to speak. "He's at…at full…"

"Damn it!" Chiyo said out loud, staring at the little wizard. "It can't be!"

"HE'S AT FULL POWER!" Bobbidi shrieked. "BOO'S AT FULL POWER!"

"No!" the The Lord of Lords cried. "How could this be? Did they deal this much damage already?"

"Dad's fighting at a power level beyond the Super Saiyan limits," Gohan said grimly. "And probably Vegeta too, so the damage is greater!"

"I-I can't believe it!" The Lord of Lords said, clutching his head. "I…I miscalculated everything…"

The stand Boo's sphere was on began to spit steam. Chiyo watched with a strange kind of anticipation.

Then she remembered the The Lord of Lords's words.

_If the djinn Boo is released, everything and everyone in this galaxy will be obliterated..._

The end had begun.


	61. The Djinn

**Chapter 61 – The Djinn**

"_A quiet conscience makes one strong."_

- Anne Frank

The sphere glowed.

Chiyo, Gohan and the Lord of Lords watched in horror as steam hissed from the stand on which Boo's prison rested.

Bobbidi's shrill, quavering voice rose over the noise.

"He's emerging…he's emerging!"

"Yes, Master."

"And when Boo comes out everyone will suffer!" the wizard shrieked. "My father will be avenged, and I am the one who made it all possible!"

"Yes, you do him great honour," Dabra rumbled.

The Lord of Lords took a few steps back. His eyes were bulging, his mouth gaping in horror.

"It's…it's hopeless!" he cried. "We've got to get out of here!"

"What?" Gohan exclaimed. "What are you talking about?"

"We can't leave it like this!" Chiyo shouted over the hissing of steam.

"Listen, you can't beat Boo! No-one can!" the Lord of Lords said urgently. "We'll die if we stay!"

Chiyo glanced uncertainly at the pulsing sphere.

_We might need Papa's help with this one_, she thought. _I don't want to run away, but…_

"If he's at full power already," Gohan said grimly, "I might as well do something!"

"Wh-what are you - "

"There are people I care about!" Gohan said angrily. "This time I'm not going to stand around and let everyone die!"

Chiyo closed her eyes, sighing. She knew what Gohan meant by that - seven years before, he had been charged by their father to destroy Cell. He had done it eventually, but at the cost of their father's, Trunks' and her own life. She had forgiven him, but the experience had shaken her up.

Gohan screamed.

Bolts of electricity crackled around his body and his chi soared as he transformed into Super Saiyan 2.

Chiyo was pushed back by the mere force of his chi, the wind whipping her hair and clothes, sharp fragments of rock stinging her face and arms.

This was Gohan at full power, she realised. She hadn't seen him become Super Saiyan level 2 since she was a little girl…she'd forgotten how much power he had.

Gohan cupped his hands and planted his feet firmly in the ground.

_"Ka - me - "_

Chiyo braced herself.

_"Ha - me - HA!"_

The area exploded in blue light as Gohan fired a _Kamehameha_ at the sphere.

Dabra seized Bobbidi and leapt out of the way as the chi blast hit with a shockwave that made the ground shake.

After several long moments, the light cleared. Boo's sphere was rocking on its stand. However, seconds later it stopped, and steam once again blasted from the stand.

Gohan seemed undaunted; he cupped his hands once again.

_"Ka - me - ha - me - HA!"_

Watching her brother, Chiyo suddenly felt ashamed. Although she loved him, for the past couple of years she had been a little scornful, even embarrassed, of Gohan's lack of love for combat.

Now as he stood blasting Boo's shell with all his strength, Chiyo realised she hadn't been fair to her brother - courage came in many forms, not just in combat. Gohan was still Gohan, whether he was posing in that stupid costume of his or trying to save the world.

_What am I doing?_ she thought. _I can't stand by and let this happen either._

Chiyo gathered her concentration, and her chi began to rise. The Lord of Lords' head whipped around and his eyes narrowed.

"No!" he cried. "Listen to me - we need you both alive!"

"I'm not running away!" Chiyo shouted, and released her chi.

Although slightly less impressive than the release of Gohan's full power, her own was nothing to be laughed at. The ground crumbled beneath her, giving way to a small crater as she raised her chi as high as it would go.

_"Ka - me - "_

"Wait, Gohan!" Chiyo said, grabbing her brother's arm. "We'll do it together."

Ignoring the Lord of Lords' wide-eyed stare, brother and sister formed a circle with their hands.

_"Ka - me - "_

"Th-there's no stopping them...!" the Lord of Lords gasped.

_"Ha - me - HA!"_

BOOM!

The combined _Kamehameha_ collided with Boo's sphere, sending tremours through the rocky ground. This time, however, the sphere ricocheted off its stand, bouncing and rolling wildly before slowly coming to a stop ten feet away. With a hiss of steam and magenta light it cracked open.

"HERE HE COMES!" Bobbidi shrieked. "BOO THE DJINN!"

"Our time has come," Dabra said, smirking.

But the shell was empty.

Silence fell over the group. A tiny puff of pink steam floated from the open sphere and blew away in the wind.

The Lord of Lords began to laugh.

"The djinn is dead!" he said. "He must have grown weaker in his years of hibernation - so the energy killed him!"

Chiyo cast out her senses and felt something flickering uncertainly. Her throat suddenly went dry - something wasn't right.

The Lord of Lords turned to Gohan and Chiyo.

"Goku and Vegeta are probably equally matched," he said. "So I'll wrestle Bobbidi down! If you defeat Dabra, Bobbidi's plot will be undone! Just like your father said - now is the time to let yourself feel your rage! Show us your true power!"

Then the flickering chi revealed itself, and Chiyo felt the bottom of her stomach drop away.

"No…I'm sorry…" Gohan gasped. He was sweating. "I sense…a monstrous chi building…this is bad…"

He glanced up suddenly, and Chiyo followed suit.

Billowing far above them in the sky was a cloud of pink steam, like the smoke that came from Boo's sphere. The chi was somewhere in the middle of that steam.

"Wh-what are you saying?" the Lord of Lords demanded.

"The smoke!" Gohan replied grimly, "The smoke that came from the shell!"

The pink clouds roiled and billowed suddenly. They seemed to be condensing, forming themselves into a shape -

"No!" Chiyo stammered.

Arms, legs, a body...the pink steam was coming together into the strangest monster Chiyo had ever seen. He was enormous, fat and pink, wearing a costume so resembling Gohan's that she would have laughed had the situation not been so dire. His skinny arms and legs looked comical on his pudgy body. His eyes were almost hidden by rolls of fat.

"BOO!" he shouted.

BOOM!

With another shockwave the pink monster landed, glancing around with an expression of glee on his corpulent face.

"YAY!" he cried, and began to stretch.

"He looks like a marshmallow," Chiyo commented dryly. She wasn't sure what she had expected to come out of the sphere - but it wasn't that.

"Is that Boo?" Gohan asked.

"Yes," the The Lord of Lords replied in a low, quivering voice. "I'll never forget his terrible face."

_Terrible?_ Chiyo thought derisively, watching the curious monster. Boo attempted to touch his toes before beginning a hopping dance around his shell that reminded Chiyo of her little brother.

"Strange," Gohan said. "I expected him to be bigger."

"It's too late!" the Lord of Lords said, shaking his head frantically. "We can never escape now!"

"I'm not so sure about that."

"What?"

Gohan stared at Boo for a moment, and his face was impassive.

"I admit he has a ton of chi," he said. "But I don't know about hopeless."

"What?" the Lord of Lords said again. "You don't mean…?"

"If I can use all my strength..." Gohan said thoughtfully. "Chiyo, what do you think?"

Chiyo nodded in agreement.

"He has an enormous amount of chi," she said. "But completely hopeless? I don't think so, not if we do it together. You and me."

Gohan smiled at her. "Yeah!"

"Boo! Hmm - Boo!"

Wham!

Chiyo jumped in surprise as the creature landed on his backside on the ground. She tensed, ready for attack, but he merely laughed and jumping to his feet began to run around like an aeroplane.

"Look at my face, Boo!"

Bobbidi approached the monster, his wrinkled face lit in a smile.

"I am Bobbidi, the son of Bibbidi, your creator!" he continued. "I'm the one who freed you from the shell you were trapped in for years!"

Boo glanced at him, but said nothing.

"Which means I'm your master!"

Boo turned away, and Chiyo felt herself growing curious. Exactly what was so terrifying about this creature?

"Hey!" Bobbidi said shrilly. "Where are your manners?"

Boo's massive body obscured his face, but Chiyo heard him making an odd squeaking sound.

"Well?" Bobbidi demanded, darting closer. "I said, I'm your master!"

Boo's head whipped around. His face was pulled into a grotesque mask, tongue hanging out and his little eyes rolling madly.

"BOO!" he shouted, and laughed uproariously as Bobbidi fell backwards, gasping.

_He's like a kid_, Chiyo thought, watching Bobbidi climb to his feet. _But is he meant to be like this? Or is he brain-damaged from captivity?_

"Bah!" Dabra snorted. "He's a cretin. Looks like we failed after all…he's just a fat, stupid loser."

Boo's laughter died, and he turned his massive head towards the Demon King.

"Boo!" he shouted, pumping his fists in the air, and began to hop towards Dabra.

"So he does understand," Chiyo muttered. She felt Gohan stir beside her.

"It sounds like this was a bust," he said.

The Lord of Lords shook his head.

"It's no bust," he said tersely. "That is Boo."

Dabra laughed as Boo approached him.

"You want to fight me?" he said. "Make that a fat, stupid, arrogant loser."

At that moment, steam began to pour from the holes lining Boo's arms and crowning his head. The sight would have been amusing if the situation weren't serious, but still Chiyo felt her fear lessen slightly. If Boo could kill Dabra it didn't say much for his strength - she and Gohan were capable of that at the very least. If they combined their power they could take him out -

Then Boo's eyes opened to narrow little slits, and a grin split his face. And in that moment, Chiyo felt a chi so powerful her stomach clenched in terror, and a wave of nauseous fear swept over her.

She knew, then, that none of them would survive.

Boo's gloved hand shot out and his fingers gouged Dabra's eyes.

"Yaaaaargh!"

Purple blood spattered in every direction and Dabra stumbled, trying to strike Boo, but the creature kicked him away.

BOOM!

The demon king hit the nearest rock wall with enough force to bring it down on top of him. Sure enough, he was soon buried under several tons of rock. Chiyo felt his chi fade away.

Boo landed, applauding and laughing.

"He's - he's astounding!" Bobbidi shrieked. "Boo, you're magnificent!"

"Boo's chi - shot way up - " Gohan stammered. "His power is…absolutely incredible…"

Chiyo glanced at her brother, and her stomach clenched again. She had never seen him as afraid as this.

Boo bowed frantically to Bobbidi, and Chiyo realised she'd missed most of the exchange between him and the wizard.

"He acts like a little kid," Gohan said suddenly. "Maybe if we do away with Bobbidi, he'll be harmless…"

The Lord of Lords shook his head frantically.

"No!" he said. "Without Bobbidi, there's no way to seal him away again! You don't understand - Boo is a monster. There'll come a time when he proves too much for Bobbidi to handle…then we'll have to hope he seals him away!"

"But what if Boo kills Bobbidi?" Chiyo said quietly.

"I curse myself for my hubris," the Lord of Lords muttered. "I honestly thought I could stop Bobbidi. If I had known that you humans were far stronger than I…I could have used the other way."

"What do you mean?" Gohan asked.

"No, it's too late to escape," the Lord of Lords said. "We're doomed…"

"So what, you're just gonna give up?" Chiyo demanded. "Aren't you supposed to be the Lord of Lords?"

"Chiyo - "

"If I die, I can't be brought back to life!" Chiyo shouted at him. "So no, I don't want to give up! We can at least run away!"

"Boo!"

Bobbidi stabbed a spindly finger at Chiyo, Gohan and the Lord of Lords.

"This is my first order!" he shrieked. "Kill them!"

"BOO!"

The next thing she knew, Chiyo was in the air. It took a few dizzying moments to realise she and the Lord of Lords were being pulled along by their wrists by Gohan, who was flying at top speed.

"Don't worry!" he shouted. "I'm sure of my speed, at least!"

Then suddenly, Boo was in front of them.

Gohan stopped so suddenly that Chiyo felt the bones in her wrist crack. She pulled away and increased her chi, although a sense of hopelessness almost overwhelmed her. If Boo could outmatch even Gohan's speed, then they were done for.

"What?" Gohan shouted.

"DIE!"

Boo moved, faster than the eye could see, and sent Gohan flying with a hammer blow.

"GOHAN!" Chiyo screamed.

Boo's grin widened, and he advanced on them.

Chiyo seized the Lord of Lords by the arm and threw him.

"_Go!_" she shouted. "Run away!"

She brought her hands to the level of her forehead.

_"Masenko!"_

The chi blast collided with Boo's massive body and, as Chiyo had hoped, passed directly through. The sickly smell of burning flesh assaulted her nose, but she kept going. The blast contained her full power, and if she couldn't at the very least slow Boo down enough to escape with Gohan and the Lord of Lords, then there was nothing she could do.

At last Chiyo's blast faltered and faded. There was a massive hole blasted in Boo's stomach, and she felt some satisfaction. She had used a lot of her chi, but with luck she could get away while Boo was injured.

But Boo didn't seem to be fazed. He glanced down at the hole in his stomach and giggled. Then as the girl watched in horror, the hole began to shrink. Pink, rubbery skin was growing over the injury, alien flesh knitting itself together before her eyes. Within moments his stomach was whole again - it was as if she had never attacked him.

"Shit," she cursed softly.

Boo's fist connected with her cheek, and then there was nothing but pain.


	62. Loss

**Chapter 61 - Loss**

"Chiyo, get up! Get up!"

Chiyo woke to Gohan shaking her violently. She struggled to her feet, wincing as pieces of rock stuck into her knees. Her cheek throbbed, and she grimaced. It was probably fractured, she thought, touching it gingerly.

Suddenly she wished her father had asked for more senzu from Master Karin. If there ever was a time when they really needed them, this was it.

"Are you okay?" Gohan asked. He was bloody, battered, and gasping for breath like she was - Boo's blows were incredibly hard, despite his soft appearance.

A cry of pain reached the half-Saiyans' ears.

"The Lord of Lords," Gohan muttered, and he pulled Chiyo to her feet, although he was leaning just as heavily on her for his own support.

_He must have taken a harder hit than me_, Chiyo thought, giving him a worried glance. _We really do need some senzu..._

"Gohan, are you - "

"I'm fine," her brother interrupted impatiently, pushing himself up to his full height. "Just...just promise me that you'll protect the Lord of Lords if anything happens to me." He glanced at her. "He's the only one who knows what Boo is really capable of."

"Nothing's gonna happen to you," Chiyo said firmly, patting his shoulder. "We'll be fine. All we need to do is distract Boo long enough to get away. We need to find Dad and - "

"Promise me!" he said, and his eyes bored into hers.

"Fine," Chiyo replied, a little unnerved by the intensity of his gaze. "I promise. Now let's get going."

Gohan shook his head. "No, you stay back. Take the Lord of Lords and get out of here. I'll deal with Boo."

The teenager took a step forward, stumbled, and fell.

"Gohan!"

Chiyo dropped to her knees beside him (although her own legs felt like jelly) and put a tentative hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

To her surprise, he pushed her hand away and climbed to his feet.

"Don't," he muttered. "I'm supposed to be taking care of _you_, not the other way around. I'll distract Boo and you get the Lord of Lords."

Chiyo stared at her brother as he sped off towards Boo, who was standing over the prone form of the Lord of Lords.

_Yeah, right_, she thought, snorting, and followed him.

WHAM!

Gohan's foot connected squarely with Boo's cheek, sending him flying backwards.

"It's me, _Kaioshin_," he said, bending over the Lord of Lords. "Let's go."

"Y-yes..."

Bobbidi darted away from Gohan, his spindly arms waving, and began to run in the other direction. Seeing her chance, Chiyo sprang from her hiding place and seized the wizard by the collar, lifting him in the air and pinning his arms with one hand so he couldn't work magic. She clamped her free hand over his mouth.

"You're not going anywhere," she said quietly, as Bobbidi struggled, emitting muffled squeaks.

She tightened her grip, and saw the warlock's eyes bulge in terror. She knew Bobbidi felt the strength in her arm; strength enough to snuff out his life in an instant.

_Should I kill him?_ Chiyo thought, holding the repulsive creature away from her. It would be something a Saiyan would do; killing the person responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people, and probably more. But what the Lord of Lords said lingered in her mind. If they killed Bobbidi, there might not be anyone to control Boo. The djinn could turn out to be harmless, but what a gamble to take.

No, Chiyo decided, she was more human than Saiyan. She wouldn't kill a helpless enemy. But hold onto him until she figured out what to do? She could do that.

Boo straightened, sniggered, and began to flip towards Gohan in a series of odd-looking cartwheels. He landed with a crash nearby and turned towards the half-Saiyan. The imprint of Gohan's boot on his cheek popped outwards, leaving the pink skin unblemished. His eyes opened into little slits, and he grinned. Chiyo started forward automatically, feeling the well of chi open up again.

"You bad!" Boo said. "Go away!"

Gohan lunged at him.

"Watch out!" the Lord of Lords shouted.

Boo's gloved hands shot out and fired a chi blast. The blast collided with Gohan at point blank range, seconds before he reached the monster.

"NO!" Chiyo screamed.

The blast enveloped her brother completely, drenching the area in turquoise light. She could hear Gohan's screams as the blast carried him into the sky. She felt his chi drop and fade...then there was nothing.

_Any moment,_ Chiyo thought, staring at the sky. _He's just hurt but he's okay. He's just hiding his chi...any moment now..._

But Gohan did not appear over the horizon, and after several long moments Chiyo's legs weakened and she pitched forward onto her knees. There was a scuffling as Bobbidi broke free of her hold and scrambled away. Chiyo didn't notice. Her thoughts were focused inwards on the block of ice that had settled on her chest, numbing all feeling and reducing her silent screams of disbelief to a vague despair. If she hadn't witnessed it herself, she would never have believed it. Gohan...the constant, reassuring presence by her side since she was a baby, was gone - his chi snuffed out as easily as a candle blown out by a puff of wind. His lopsided grin, his nerdy Saiyaman outfit, his infectious laugh - now he was nothing; dust and ashes.

Shrill, mocking laughter cut through Chiyo's thoughts, and she acknowledged it with a twitch of her eyebrow.

"I can't even see him anymore!" Bobbidi cried, his face split by a wide grin. "Splendid, Boo! Now finish this one off!"

The ice in Chiyo's chest melted and fire poured in.

"You," she whispered.

A wave of hatred swept over, fiercer and hotter than any emotion she had ever felt, and her cheeks burned from the tears rolling down her face; within the hate she felt a rage so overwhelming that her eyes opened wide and her hands trembled. Somehow she found the strength to climb to her feet. The fire in her chest roared as she faced Bobbidi and Boo. The wizard's laughter died as he saw the murder in her eyes.

"Boo!" he said shrilly.

Chiyo screamed.

A light breeze whipped itself into a gale as the teenager released the full force of her chi. Bobbidi was bowled over, tumbling in the wind, his skinny limbs flailing comically as he tried to right himself. Boo stood perfectly still, his fat face wearing a quizzical expression.

Chiyo thought she had reached her limit, but her chi seemed to be rising by itself. Her body was buzzing, as if charged with electricity, and her hair stood on end. But for all her renewed energy, she felt very cold. She knew what she had to do, and she knew it would get ugly. But they had taken Gohan away from her family, and she would destroy them for it - every last inch of them.

The dust cleared, leaving Boo and Chiyo standing in the middle of a crater big enough to build a small village in.

"You killed my brother," Chiyo said quietly, "and now you're going to fight me. You piece of crap."

Boo stared at her. "Crr-ap…?"

"It means your face looks like it came out of someone's butt."

Chiyo silently thanked Kami-sama that her family wasn't around to hear her utter such profanities. Seven years of association with her father and brother's friends had given her a rather colourful vocabulary, and she would need all the curses she could get if she wanted to goad Boo into fighting her.

Steam poured from the holes on Boo's head and he pumped his fists in the air.

"BOO!"

The monster's chi soared, but this time Chiyo was prepared - she dodged a blow that would have fractured her other cheekbone and planted her foot into his stomach, grimacing in disgust as her boot sank into the pink, rubbery flesh.

_He really is like a marshmallow_, Chiyo thought, trying to pull her foot out of his stomach. Boo's corpulent face stretched into a grin and he drew his fist back. She flinched.

Wham!

The monster's fist connected with her cheek. Chiyo's head snapped to the side with the force of her blow and blood sprayed from her nose and mouth. Another hard kick to the stomach sent her flying, skidding and bouncing along the hard rock and coming to rest near the Lord of Lords.

It took Chiyo several long seconds to climb to her feet. Her head was spinning violently with the blow, making her stomach churn in protest. The taste of blood in her mouth only made it worse, no matter how much she tried to get rid of it.

"I can't go on like this," she muttered. Every blow of Boo's was causing her a lot of damage; more so than any enemy she had ever fought before. It wouldn't be long before she was defeated…and what then? Would she end up like Gohan, or would help arrive in time?

_Papa_, Chiyo thought, _I wish you and Vegeta never started that stupid fight of yours. Maybe then Gohan would still be here._

Chiyo lunged at Boo without warning, using her chi to make herself invisible to the naked eye. Her only chance, she thought, was to attack hard and fast – not to leave any opportunity for him to heal himself. Even if she died trying to kill him, then so be it – running away wasn't an option.

She moved towards Boo, but noticed his comical face was turned in her direction. Frustrated, she pushed herself harder – she was almost close enough to Boo to strike a blow –

Chiyo snapped her wrist forward in an open palm attack. But before she could react, an iron grip tightened itself around her arm. Boo had absorbed her blow in his gloved hand, his face showing nothing but childish amusement.

_NO!_ she screamed silently.

Pain exploded in Chiyo's stomach as Boo's massive fist moved faster than even she could anticipate. Her mouth opened in a scream, although all her crushed lungs could muster was a gasp. Two of her ribs cracked and something deep inside her ruptured, sending a new wave of agony surging through her left side.

The monster let go of her arm and Chiyo doubled over, clutching her sides, struggling to remember what her father and Piccolo had taught her about pain. Accept it, acknowledge it, and push on despite of it. Life was pain at times, but she had a job to do.

Overcome the pain she did, and within a few minutes she was back on her feet, although hunched over like an old woman. There was a stabbing pain in her side that worsened with each breath, making her wince every few seconds. She took shallow breaths to try and lessen the pain, but the lack of air made her dizzy.

Boo and Bobbidi were watching her in amusement. The Lord of Lords was lying forgotten nearby.

_Now's your chance to run away!_ Chiyo shouted silently, hoping the Lord of Lords' mind-reading powers were switched on. She saw him stir slightly, and hoped he had heard.

Then without pause, Chiyo attacked.

Blinding pain returned at almost the same time as clarity. Chiyo's back arched, mouth opening in a hoarse cry that was thankfully muffled by the ton of rocks she was buried under.

Chiyo pushed herself up onto her knees with her hands supporting the fragment of rock that had pinned her, biting her lip as pain shot through her side. For the first time since attacking the djinn Boo, she began to feel real fear. She could not beat this monster - and now she realised the extent of and reason for the Lord of Lords' terror.

_I wish Gohan was still here_, Chiyo thought, feeling tears in her eyes again. She fought down the raw grief that burned her throat and began to work on freeing herself from the rocks.

As she worked, she planned. A direct attack wouldn't work on Boo any more than it had on Dabra. His body was built like rubber, able to deflect physical attacks; she had found that out the hard way.

At the very least, he wasn't really after her - Bobbidi wanted the Lord of Lords, and he viewed Chiyo as little more than a nuisance. But even if that gave her time to recover before attacking again, she couldn't leave any injured person out there to die, let alone a god.

The Lord of Lords. It was Chiyo's job to protect him - Vegeta and Goku were pounding each other somewhere, Kuririn and Piccolo were stone statues on the hill. Gohan was...Gohan was…

_No time for being a baby_, she thought, furiously scrubbing her face. _I've got work to do._

Chiyo concentrated, her chi beginning to increase. The ground felt warm beneath her knees. The air began to buzz.

Then the rocks exploded.

Bobbidi's head snapped around as the collapsed wall exploded, showering him and Boo with dust.

"Curse her!" he screamed, waving his shrunken arms in the air. "Boo, I order you to get her!"

The odd-looking monster squinted at Bobbidi, then at the scattered rocks where the girl stood. She was injured and weary, Bobbidi noticed. _Good,_ he thought, _she'll die soon. But not before I make her wish she was already dead!_

"What are you waiting for?" he snapped. "Kill her already!"

Chiyo caught her breath while Boo stared at her, still with that idiot grin on his face.

Chi flared at the edge of her senses - the Lord of Lords. He was still alive, but heavily wounded.

"Hurry up!" Bobbidi shrieked. "Make the pest suffer!"

Boo's squinty eyes opened to little slits and he grinned. "Kill!"

This time Chiyo waited for Boo to begin his characteristic step-hop-jump toward her, instead of bothering to expend energy going after him. The initial rage she had felt before faded to a kind of hopeless resignation. She knew she had no hope of beating Boo at full strength, let alone at the weakened state she was now; the best she could do was give the Lord of Lords the opportunity to escape, although he was wounded.

The ideal of the protective warrior was too ingrained in Chiyo for her to consider running away and leaving the Lord of Lords at the mercy of Bobbidi and Boo. Still, there were some times when she thought her own sense of morals interfered with her safety in rather dangerous ways.

Then without warning, Boo's hand shot out and fired a chi blast at her.

BOOM!

Chiyo dodged the blast fairly easily, although her muscles screamed in protest. If she had been more alert, perhaps less tired; she would have recognized the blast as a diversion.

Unfortunately, Chiyo's leap to avoid Boo's chi blast carried her directly into the path of his fist.

For the second time in an hour Chiyo took the full force of the monster's blow in the face. She crumpled, stunned senseless, and Boo's hand closed around her throat.

"Yes! Yes!" Bobbidi shrieked, hopping up and down on the spot. "Crush her throat! Show her what happens to those who dare to cross the great Bobbidi!"

Boo's grip constricted Chiyo's windpipe, reducing her next breath by half. Chiyo thrashed like a fish on a hook, scrabbling desperately at the fat hand that tightened like iron around her throat. Her vision began to turn red as the monster dug his fingers into her windpipe, cutting off her air.

Then the world went dark, and Chiyo sank into oblivion.


	63. Warrior's Legacy

**Chapter 63 - Warrior's Legacy**

"Food! Food! Time for food!"

The first thing Chiyo heard on her return to consciousness was Boo's high-pitched voice chanting.

"Time for food! Time for food!"

The Lord of Lords!

Chiyo's hands flew to her throat before she realised Boo's grip had disappeared. She was lying facedown on the ground, like she had been dropped. Her chi was quite low; the hair plastered to her face was black.

_Great_, she thought.

As Chiyo lay there, she cast out her senses. Bobbidi and Boo were in the area, and quite close. The Lord of Lords was still alive, although faintly.

BOOM!

Chiyo covered her head as an explosion sent rock flying in every direction. At the same time she felt a familiar chi.

Dabra!

She pulled herself up on her elbows and crawled forward, squinting in the afternoon sunlight. It was Dabra alright, and he was battered and bloody, yellow eyes staring at his master's creation as he emerged unscathed from the explosion.

She glanced from Bobbidi to the Lord of Lords, who she saw was lying nearby.

_I have to get him away somehow_, she thought. _But how?_

While Bobbidi would have been easily dispatched earlier, now Chiyo was too physically weak to even stand. Boo had done something to her; her legs felt heavy and useless, and every few seconds she felt overwhelmed by an exhaustion that seemed to seep into her bones.

Chiyo covered her head as Dabra began to blast Boo. The chi created a wind that sent dust and smoke billowing over the shaking ground.

"S'no use!" she shouted hoarsely, even though she knew Dabra wouldn't hear her. "It won't work...!"

And sure enough, once the smoke cleared Boo was still standing.

"What? No!" Dabra roared.

"Cookie!"

The odd tentacle on Boo's head whipped forward, and a pink light issued from it. Dabra roared as the light collided with his body - then before their eyes, he began to change. His arms and legs snapped together, his face frozen into a resigned expression, and he began to turn brown.

_Well_, Chiyo thought as Boo stuffed the Dabra cookie into his mouth, _he _did_ say he was going to eat him..._

Dabra's chi disappeared at the same time the third explosion in the last ten minutes rocked the ground Chiyo was lying on. Irritated, she shielded her eyes from the dust and focussed on the pillar of flame that seemed to be the source of the explosion.

"ARGH!" Bobbidi shrieked, making her jump. "My spaceship! What happened?"

Suddenly, Vegeta appeared before them.

Chiyo stared. The Saiyan stood proudly with an aura of golden chi surrounding him, punctuated occasionally by a bolt of electricity snaking around his body. Although his clothes were torn and bloody, there were no injuries that she could see.

_He must have eaten a senzu seed_, she thought. _But that means he would have killed Papa...but that's impossible, isn't it?_

The girl clenched her fists on the ground and furiously pushed away another wave of grief. She knew her father only had one day to be here, so why was she so sad? Death was a part of life - and besides, he had been gone seven years. Why should it make any difference to her?

Bobbidi's shrill voice cut through Chiyo's thoughts.

"V-vegeta! What have you done? I never told you to destroy the ship!"

Vegeta laughed.

"So, that repugnant blob is Boo, eh? The one who killed Gohan."

Boo looked confused. "Ree…pug…nut?"

"It means your face would frighten small children."

The monster puffed up like a balloon, and steam poured from the holes on his head.

"BOO MAD!"

_Here we go_, Chiyo thought.

"Mad! Kill! Mad! Kill!" Boo cried.

"Oh, fine!" Bobbidi screeched. "Do it! He's useless if he won't obey orders!'

Chiyo closed her eyes as another chi-fueled wind washed over her - Vegeta was increasing his chi, and the intensity of it scared and thrilled her at the same time.

_Maybe he can beat Boo_, she thought. _I know I can't..._

The last thought she admitted to herself with some difficulty. She hadn't even the strength to become a Super Saiyan - and even now, what little strength she had was fading. Her body was simply too injured to cope, and eventually she laid her cheek on the ground, concentrating on every tortured breath. Her last thought before unconsciousness reached her (again) was that she had failed.

Trunks collapsed.

Piccolo watched the scene from above, wiping his hand free of Bobbidi's blood. The remains of the wizard lay below.

_Let him die on the ground like a dog_, Piccolo thought. _No more than he deserves._

Vegeta buried his fist in Goten's stomach. As the boy fell, Piccolo landed. Their gazes locked - the Namekian knew what Vegeta intended, and the deed surprised him.

"Somebody hit! Who hit?"

The creature was returning. Unhurt, naturally.

Vegeta spoke.

"Take the three of them as far as you can. Hurry, Piccolo."

"Three?" Piccolo repeated.

Wordlessly, Vegeta pointed. And for the first time Piccolo noticed the crumpled figure sprawled several feet away.

Piccolo went to her. Chiyo had been beaten into unconsciousness; her face was almost unrecognizable, her breathing shallow and her limbs twitching in reflex. He clenched his fists until his nails cut into the calluses on his palms, fighting the fury that rose in him. Was this how Gohan had died? Left in some god-forsaken place to die like an animal?

Piccolo turned Chiyo over. The unconscious girl stirred and her eyes opened, hissing as pain returned to her in full. He pulled her into a sitting position, and then onto his back.

"Hold on."

"It's time," Vegeta said, as the Namekian tucked Goten and Trunks under each arm. "Hurry."

"You plan to die here, don't you?"

Vegeta turned his back on Piccolo, and for a moment was silent. Then,

"Tell me one thing. Will I be able to see Kakarrot in the afterlife?"

Piccolo stared at Vegeta's back.

"The time is past for mincing words, so I'll be blunt," he replied. "No. You have killed too many innocents. You will lose your body and your soul will be banished to a place quite different from Goku's. There it will be re-incarnated into a new form, but only after it is cleansed of memories."

"I see," Vegeta said after a moment. "Pity. So go, then...now."

"Yes."

Piccolo took off as fast as he could, the boys tucked under each arm and the girl slung precariously over his shoulder.

"Hold on tight," he said out loud, and felt her fingers clench in response. With Dende's healing powers and senzu seeds, Chiyo would recover. He felt relieved - no-one else save Gohan and the Lord of Lords had seen what Boo was truly capable of.

Kuririn gaped as Piccolo approached the rocks where he was crouching, carrying Goten and Trunks, and what looked like a third body slung over his shoulder.

"Come, Kuririn!" the Namekian roared. "It's time to retreat - _now!_"

"Uh...right..."

Kuririn shot into the air, speeding up as fast as he could to catch up. It was only when he got closer to Piccolo that he recognised the figure Piccolo carried on his shoulder.

"Chiyo!" he groaned. "Oh, jeez..."

"Can you carry her?" Piccolo said. "At this high speed, she may not be able to hold on."

"Sure, but..." Kuririn accepted the unconscious girl with difficulty, trying not to look at her battered face. "What happened? Was it Boo?"

"Yes, I believe so."

Suddenly, Vegeta's chi flared and began to climb.

"What's Vegeta doin'?" Kuririn shouted. "He'll be killed!"

Piccolo stared straight ahead.

"For the first time ever, he's fighting for something other than himself," he said. "And he's giving his life for it."

Chiyo returned to consciousness slowly, as if waking from a dream. She could see a bright blue sky above her, but with no clouds. The colour was mesmerizing, and she stared at it for a few moments.

"Did you heal her?" asked a faint voice. It too was familiar, and Chiyo smiled. Kuririn was there, too. She could see it now: her whole family, in the endless forests and meadows on Mt Paozu, doing nothing but watching the clouds drift by...except there were no clouds. And she felt nothing but hard tiles beneath her body.

Chiyo shot upright with a cry of surprise as clarity returned in full. Dende was kneeling before her, his small hands outstretched over her.

"Welcome back," he said.

"Dende?" Chiyo said faintly. "Am I at Kami-sama's palace?"

"Yes." The Namekian stood and held out a hand. "You were badly beaten, but I managed to heal you."

Chiyo accepted Dende's hand and let him pull her to her feet. "Thank you, _Kami-sama._"

"Just Dende," the Namekian replied, blushing a curious shade of purple.

"Welcome back, kiddo."

Chiyo glanced over her shoulder and for the first time noticed Kuririn and Piccolo standing patiently behind her.

"Kuririn!" She squashed him in a hug, startling the little man, and approached Piccolo. For a moment the Namekian must have thought she was going to hug him too (for he looked rather alarmed), but she stood smiling at him.

"Piccolo."

Piccolo rested a giant, long-fingered hand on Chiyo's head. She took this as a rare sign of affection from him, and her smile widened. After a moment she turned back to the others and frowned. "How long was I out?"

"We don't know," Kuririn replied, shaking his head. "Piccolo brought you back with Goten and Trunks, but he said you were already unconscious when he found you."

"Goten and Trunks?" Chiyo repeated anxiously. "What happened to them? Are they alright? Where are they?"

"They're fine!" Kuririn said, holding up his hands in a "peace" gesture. "They're sleeping inside the palace. They weren't hurt."

Chiyo's shoulders slumped and she sighed in relief.

"Good," she said, although inwardly she was seething.

_Those little brats!_ She thought. _Just wait until I get my hands on them! Making me worry like that!_

Suddenly, a large chi appeared at the palace; within metres of where Piccolo, Chiyo, Kuririn, Dende and Mr. Popo were standing. Chiyo felt its familiarity; she gasped.

"That chi!"

Then she was off, running around the corner of the building as fast as her legs could carry her.

Then there was Goku, standing in the middle of the tiled courtyard. His battered face broke into a tired smile as he saw Chiyo, Kuririn and Piccolo.

"Hey."

"GOKU! It's you!" Kuririn shouted. "You're alive! I mean - you know!"

"What happened?" Goku asked.

"What happened to _you?_" Chiyo demanded, trying to conceal her relief at seeing her father alive and relatively well. "You look like you've been run through a meat grinder!"

Goku laughed. "Do we have any senzu seeds?"

"No, but we have something better - Dende!" Kuririn said happily. "How about doing some more healing?"

"Of course," the Namekian said. "I would be happy to."

After Dende's healing, they gathered on the stairs outside the palace. Kuririn and Piccolo filled Goku in on what had happened so far.

"So Gohan...and the Lord of Lords, too," Goku said grimly, staring at the ground. "Are you sure?"

"I don't know about the Lord of Lords," Chiyo said, "but I know Gohan...Gohan..."

To her mortification she felt tears gathering in her eyes, and turned her face away. The death of Gohan had been sudden, unexpected, and her emotions were still near the surface.

Kuririn squeezed her shoulder. "We know about Gohan," he said in a low voice. "I'm sorry."

_What am I going to tell Mama and Grandpa?_ Chiyo thought despairingly. _And Goten? What could I possibly say to make it easier?_

"Vegeta is gone, too," Piccolo said in his bass tone. "He sacrificed himself to destroy Boo, but Boo regenerated himself, even from a million pieces..."

At this, Chiyo felt a fresh wave of grief and despair. She was not close to Vegeta, but after seven years they had formed a mutual, grudging respect for each other. He was not the happy-go-lucky person her father was, but he was a father for Trunks.

_So you did a noble thing_, she thought, staring fixedly at the sky while waiting for her tears to dry up. _But now Trunks is fatherless, too._

"I tried to protect the Lord of Lords," Chiyo said in a muffled voice. "But I wasn't strong enough. Boo beat me and left me to die."

Goku put his head in his hands.

"Gohan..." he said. "Vegeta...the Lord of Lords. All gone. What kind of beast are we dealing with?"

"Just as the Lord of Lords feared, Boo defies all imagination," Piccolo said. "At this rate, every living being on Earth and in the entire galaxy will be snuffed out."

"Not if we stop him," Chiyo said grimly.

"Don't be so down!" Kuririn cried. "At least Goku's not dead...I mean, well, he's dead but not _dead_ dead like Gohan and Vegeta - " Chiyo flinched, and Kuririn shook his head vigorously. " - but, what I mean is - "

_Gohan, Vegeta, I'll avenge you_, Chiyo thought.

"Now Goku is here, you're the only one who can beat him! You get one full day out of heaven, right? You still have time!"

"No," Goku interrupted. "I can't do it."

"What?" Kuririn looked crestfallen. "Why not?"

"He's too powerful an opponent." Goku glanced at the others, and his expression darkened. "Vegeta was just as strong as me, and he didn't even faze Boo. Sorry, but I don't have a chance."

"Oh...yeah..."

Goku slammed his fist into the palm of his other hand.

"Crap!" he said. "If only Vegeta and Gohan were still alive, we might have a chance..."

"It wouldn't make the slightest difference how many of us there were," Piccolo replied.

"No. I mean we could have fused."

"Fusion?" Dende interrupted, his young face lit up with curiosity. "The speciality of the Metamors?"

"You know them?" Goku asked, standing up. "I met a couple in the afterlife, and they taught me."

"What is it?" Chiyo asked.

"It's an ancient art that can be performed with two people around the same size and power," Goku explained. "But when they do it they become way stronger than the sum of their parts." He grinned. "It was awesome! Each one was a wimp by himself, but once they fused they became unbeatable!"

"You and Nail were a fusion too, weren't you?" Dende asked Piccolo.

"Yes, of a sort."

Chiyo wondered who Nail was, but suppressed the urge to ask.

"Namekian fusion is different," Goku continued. "The way I know is only temporary, and a new hybrid is formed instead of just one host."

"The result is the same," Piccolo said. "If Gohan and Vegeta were still alive, you would be able to perform the technique with one of them. And then you could beat Boo."

Goku shrugged. "I've never tried it myself...there's nobody at my level in the afterlife. Besides, it took me a week to learn the technique. So I guess it doesn't matter anyway..."

"Wait," Kuririn said. "Couldn't you do a fusion with Gohan or Vegeta when you get back to heaven?"

"Oh yeah, that's a great idea!"

"And just how do you plan on getting back to Earth after that, huh?" Chiyo said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh...right..."

"Oh!" Mr. Popo said suddenly, his black eyes widening. When the others turned to him, he smiled.

"Goten and Trunks are similar in size and power," he said. "Might they fuse?"

_What?_ Chiyo thought, before Kuririn gave a whoop of joy and danced around the dark-skinned man. "You're a genius!"

"Piccolo, I can coach 'em until I have to leave - but that won't be enough time. You'll have to take over for me!"

"Yes!"

"Now wait a second," Chiyo interrupted, turning towards her father. "You're thinking of making the boys fight Boo?"

"We don't have a choice, Chiyo," Goku replied in a low voice.

"Are you _crazy?_" she shouted. "Do you realise what Boo will do to them?"

"Chiyo - "

"Let me fightBoo!" She seized his hand. "If you and Piccolo train me hard enough, I can do it - "

"Chiyo," Goku said gently, "you're not strong enough."

Chiyo looked at him for a moment and her mouth turned down at the corners.

"Please, Papa," she said quietly. "Apart from Mom, they're all I have left."

Goku sighed, and suddenly he felt very old. He gently pulled his hand away and placed it on her shoulder.

"There's nobody else," he said. "I'm sorry, Chiyo. Goten and Trunks are around the same age you began fighting, and they're already Super Saiyans. Imagine what kind of potential they have!"

"I guess, but - "

"It might take some time for Trunks and Goten to learn this," Piccolo interrupted. "Many innocents will die in the meantime. Humanity itself may be wiped out...the Earth itself may even be destroyed. This is a terrible gamble."

"Maybe so, but as long as Dende and the Dragon Balls are safe, it can all come back!"

"So, you think we have a chance?" Kuririn said anxiously.

"We can't ever give up hope," Goku replied. "Right now, Goten and Trunks are the best hope. We should know by now not to underestimate the young." His hands rested on Chiyo's shoulders. "Especially when they're Super Saiyans."

Chiyo turned her head to look at Goku, scowling. Then she sighed.

"You're right," she said, though she hated herself for admitting it. "I guess Goten and Trunks are our best hope right now. But that doesn't mean I can sit around doing nothing." She grasped the length of her hair in one hand, and made a swift chopping motion with the other. "I'll start my training again."

A small pile of dark hair fell to the ground, and she let go of the rest of her hair, letting it swing forward to rest just below her jaw line.

"Wow," Kuririn said, staring at her cut hair. "That must have taken you ages to grow so long..."

Chiyo sniffled. "It did. I liked my hair."

"You fought bravely against Boo," Goku said, patting her shoulder. "It wasn't in vain. You can give us a lot of valuable information about him."

"Yes." Chiyo's stomach growled. "But can it wait until later? I'm starving."


	64. Rampage

**Chapter 64 - Rampage**

Chiyo wandered through the halls of Kami-sama's palace, feeling very full. Mr. Popo, being the kind host that he was, had made her enough food to feed ten people - and she had eaten almost all of it.

She came out into the tiled courtyard and paused. Instead of being a brilliant blue, the sky was black.

_Did the sun set while I was inside?_ she wondered. _I thought I was only in there for ten minutes..._

The sight triggered a vague memory of something that had happened years ago, when she was a little girl.

"Shen Long? The Dragon God?" Goku was saying as Chiyo rejoined her friends. "But why - "

"Bulma had the Dragon Balls, right?" Kuririn said. "They don't know what's goin' on, so why..."

"Vegeta killed all those people. They're bringing them back to life!"

"Oh, dear..." Dende said, shaking his head. "If they use the three wishes now, the Dragon Balls will turn to stone for a year!"

"I've gotta stop 'em!" Goku said, putting two fingers to his forehead. "Bulma's chi is so hard to find..."

A few moments later he disappeared, and Chiyo squinted up at the sky.

"That's right," she said out loud. "The sky gets black when Shen Long is summoned, doesn't it?"

"Huh?" Kuririn glanced at her. "Yeah. Oh, that's right - you haven't seen Shen Long before, have you?"

"Once, when I was a little kid, and maybe before that...but I don't really remember."

_"Dende! Can you hear me?"_

Goku's voice suddenly came from nowhere, echoing oddly as if he were talking through a microphone.

_"They got one wish already!"_

"Tell him you don't need the other two right now," Dende instructed. "You will only have to wait four months then."

_"Got it - and tell Kuririn since they're all here, I'll bring 'em over!"_

"I understand."

Chiyo shook her head, puzzled. She knew better than to bother questioning the strange things that went on at Kami-sama's palace.

"How many people is Goku bringing?" Dende asked.

"Let's see." Chiyo ticked the names off on her fingers. "There's my mom and my grandpa, Bulma, probably Master Muten and Oolong...Goten and Trunks are already here, so...oh, and maybe Bulma's parents, Yamcha and Puar..."

"Eighteen and Marron," Kuririn said.

"Right, right...and Videl will probably come."

Chiyo and Kuririn glanced up as several familiar chi appeared. Seconds later a group of people materialized onto the tiles a few metres from the palace.

They were all there, like Chiyo had predicted, with the exception of Bulma's parents. She wondered what had happened to them.

"Chiyo!" Chi-Chi cried, her voice rising shrilly with worry. She squashed her daughter in a hug, her sharp eyes taking in Chiyo's torn clothes and cut hair. "Why - what happened to your beautiful hair?" she gasped. "And your clothes? Where is your shirt?"

"Mama, I can explain - "

"Goku!" Chi-Chi said sternly. "Perhaps you can explain to me why your daughter has been running around _without a shirt on!_"

"Uh...it's not my fault, she...uh..."

"It got ripped," Chiyo said impatiently. "Mom, did you bring spare clothes?"

"Of course I did, but I want to know how you lost your shirt in the first place!"

"I'll explain later," Chiyo said, gently moving her mother to the side so she could hug her grandfather. She had to float to reach high enough, for Gyumao was a massive man and at least two feet taller than her.

"I'm glad to see you're safe," he said, hugging her with all his strength.

"Likewise, Grandpa."

"Where're your parents, Bulma?" Kuririn asked, picking up his three year old daughter.

"They didn't want to leave the pets," Bulma said, rolling her eyes. "They told me to just bring them back to life later if anything happens."

_When something happens_, Chiyo thought, staring at the ground. She felt bad for Bulma's parents; they were nice people, and it was hard to think of them being left to a grisly fate on Earth.

"If only we knew where Tenshinhan was..." Kuririn muttered, sighing.

"Say," Chi-Chi interrupted. "Where are Gohan and Goten?"

"And Trunks and Vegeta?" Bulma asked.

Chiyo and Kuririn both flinched, but Goku straightened and turned to face the two women.

"We have to tell them sooner or later," he said, as Kuririn and Chiyo both opened their mouths to protest. "Goten and Trunks are safe, but Gohan and Vegeta are dead. Boo killed them."

Chi-Chi, Bulma, Videl and Gyumao froze, their faces identical expressions of surprise.

Then Chi-Chi crumpled.

"Chi-Chi!"

"Mama!"

Chiyo and Gyumao knelt by the unconscious woman. Chi-Chi had fainted from the shock; Chiyo silently chided herself for forgetting her mother's tendency to fainting spells.

"She'll be fine," she said, over Bulma's keening. "It's just the shock..."

"Is it true?" Gyumao said in a low voice. "Is Gohan really...?"

"Yes," Chiyo replied, struggling to keep her mouth from turning down at the corners. "I was there."

Gyumao stared at her for a second, then bent over his daughter so his face was hidden.

_How does anyone do this sort of thing?_ Chiyo thought, standing up and gazing at the scene before her. Muten Roshi, Oolong, Kuririn and Puar were standing by helplessly as Yamcha attempted to comfort a sobbing Bulma. Goku, Eighteen, Dende and Piccolo stood stoically apart, their faces showing little of what was going on in their thoughts. She felt tears gathering in her eyes again; tears of grief and sympathy for Bulma's pain. Even Videl, who stood with her head lowered.

_"Can you hear me, Earthlings?"_

Bobbidi!

Chiyo's head snapped up so fast her neck muscles protested. She crouched automatically, expecting to see the little wizard grinning before her. But there was only her family and friends - and they were all glancing around, perplexed at the sudden voice that had appeared from nowhere.

_"I am Bobbidi the warlock! Don't bother looking for me - I speak directly into your minds by magic!"_

So he was somewhere else.

_"Forgive this intrusion into your peaceful lives, but I had a terrible day, thanks to four idiots. And now I'm looking for them. Close your eyes and see. I'll send you a vision."_

Chiyo closed her eyes. And a picture formed in her mind - four people. Piccolo, Goten, Trunks - and her.

"See them? These are the four I want."

_Didn't Bobbidi think I died?_ Chiyo thought, confused. _But if he wants Goten and Trunks as well, he must have noticed I disappeared..._

_"Come out!"_ Bobbidi said. _"I know who you are. Or else..."_

Chiyo heard Piccolo make a sound of protest, but she didn't open her eyes.

_"Oh, allow me to introduce myself."_ A picture of Bobbidi popped into her mind. _"I am Bobbidi, the fearsome warlock! And this is Boo the djinn - "_ a picture of Boo replaced the wizard - _"my even more fearsome servant! No-one can defeat the great Boo! No-one!"_

_We'll see about that,_ Chiyo thought, clenching her fists.

_"Now, watch this city! If the fools don't show themselves immediately..."_

A city appeared in Chiyo's mind, peaceful and unaware. It could have been any city within a hundred miles of her house - for all she knew it could be.

_Don't you dare!_ she shouted silently.

"Don't do it!" Piccolo growled.

_"Warlocks hate to be messy. Let's kill them all very neatly. Now, Boo!"_

In Chiyo's mind, she saw the immense pink creature stretch out his gloved hands, shouting, "BOO!"

From the city rose thousands of people, all lifted into the air by Boo's magic. Screaming, flailing helplessly, the people were suspended hundreds of feet above their own city.

Chiyo heard her father say something, but she was concentrating too hard on the picture in her mind.

"CANDY!" Boo squealed, and the tentacle on his head flipped forward. A pink light emitted from it, engulfing the city's population. Then they began to change.

Chiyo heard several gasps from around her, but she had seen it happen with Dabra. Nevertheless, her lips tightened in anger as Boo inhaled the people-candy into his mouth, chewed with gusto, and swallowed.

_"Do you begin to understand?"_

Bobbidi's voice echoed oddly at the lookout, where there was a deadly silence.

The city showed in Chiyo's mind again, but this time it was empty.

_"Tsk, tsk! So messy, leaving this empty city lying around. I suppose we'll have to clean it up ourselves...Boo, clean this up! But don't scrub too hard, or you'll destroy the Earth!"_

"Okay! Okay!"

Boo took a deep breath, his grotesque stomach bulging. Then he exhaled, and a purple chi blast blew from his mouth, reducing the city to rubble. Chiyo couldn't hear or feel the explosion from Kami-sama's lookout, but she could imagine the shockwave.

_"Oh no...did we make more of a mess?"_ Bobbidi said, cackling. _"I'll show them again. This one - this one - this one, and this one."_

Pictures of Piccolo, Trunks, Goten and herself popped into Chiyo's mind, and she clenched her teeth.

_"Tell me where they are, if you don't want to be turned into candy and eaten! We'll finish up with everyone on Earth in, oh, five days. So you better turn them in soon!_

_"Oh, I almost forgot! How to contact me...just call for me in your mind. Think of me, and I'll hear your thoughts. I'll gladly accept calls from the four fools, of course!"_

Bobbidi paused. _"Oh! We've got news already!"_

There was another pause, then a quivering male voice spoke.

_"I w-was on staff at the "Strongest Under the Heavens" tournament today..."_

_"Yes? And?"_

_"Th-those four were registered...the big one's name is Demon Jr. The teenage girl's name is Son Chiyo. The kids are Trunks...and Son Goten."_

_"I don't care what their names are!"_ Bobbidi snapped_. "Where are they?"_

_"Huh? Um...I don't have their addresses..."_

_"Well, what a waste of time!"_

Another picture appeared in Chiyo's mind, that of a pudgy man in glasses wearing the uniform of a Budokai official. As she watched, to her horror, the man began to clutch at his face, sweating.

"Ahh...ahh.."

His face bulged, and blood began to run from his nose, his eyes, his ears. All the while his screaming grew more and more strangled. Chiyo was reminded of Spopovich, and her stomach churned at the sight.

BOOM!

The man's head exploded, and the picture disappeared. At the same time Bobbidi spoke again.

_"No crank calls! You don't want to die like that, do you? I'm much too busy traveling around the world killing humans. I might be coming to your town next. It's no use hiding. In five days, you'll all be gone! I'll be waiting!"_

He fell silent, and Chiyo opened her eyes, blinking rapidly to adjust them to the sun. She found she was shaking, and her hands were bleeding from where her nails had cut into her palms.

"That madman!" Piccolo roared.

"So they killed Vegeta and Gohan," Bulma said. She was shaking as well.

"We cannot see any more innocents killed," Piccolo said grimly. "_I'll_ go..."

"No, Piccolo!" Goku snapped. "Who'll teach Trunks and Goten if you die? We can't beat Boo without fusing!"

Piccolo shook his head, but Goku continued.

"They'll destroy Earth anyway! We can put everything back with the Dragon Balls, remember?"

"He's right," Dende said quietly.

"Hmm...perhaps."

A pall of gloom gradually settled over Kami-sama's lookout. The others sat in the tiled courtyard and whispered amongst themselves, faces pale and lined from worry. Goku and Piccolo stood apart from the others, waiting for Goten and Trunks to wake up. Their faces wore grim expressions, which did nothing to ease the tension.

Chiyo had gone inside to change clothes. She had managed to find an outfit in the bag that her mother had brought with her. It wasn't the best, but who cared about appearances at a time like this?

Although changing clothes was by no means difficult, Chiyo found her thoughts racing and distracting her. Over and over she replayed the last moments of Gohan's life in her head, as if she needed confirmation that he was really gone. Over and over she saw Gohan's surprised expression and heard his screams, until the tears rolled down her cheeks and her throat ached. She knew she was torturing herself needlessly, but she was unable to let go of the images.

"Chiyo?"

Chiyo jerked in surprise and twisted around. Videl stood in the doorway of the little room, watching her.

"You've been a while," she said, "so I came to check on you. Are you okay?"

_What do you think?_ Chiyo thought sarcastically, but all she could manage was, "My brother is dead."

"Ah." Videl took a few tentative steps toward her. "Guess that was a stupid question, huh?"

Chiyo bit back a ruder reply and simply shrugged. Videl sat cross-legged nearby and looked at her for a moment.

"My mom passed away when I was a kid," she said. "But I won't tell you I know how you feel. I always hated it when people did that."

"Why?" Chiyo asked.

"Because no-one knows how you feel except you. Everyone's affected by loss in different ways. " Videl gestured towards the doorway. "Everyone is out there talking about Gohan, but your grandpa is just sitting, remembering. Your mom, well..."

Chiyo snorted. "My mom is prone to fainting."

"Right. And you...well, you're staying strong. Which is good, because Goten and Trunks are gonna take it hard when they wake up..."

Chiyo closed her eyes briefly, tried not to think about the boys, and glanced at Videl.

"And what about you?" she asked. "How do you feel about Gohan's d…death?"

There was a long pause, in which Videl stared at the ground.

"I think Gohan's still alive," she said finally.

"Impossible," Chiyo replied bluntly. "Boo hit him with a chi blast at point blank range. Nobody would survive that."

"So you didn't actually see him die?"

"I can't sense his chi," Chiyo shot back, though her voice trembled. "If he was alive I would be able to - no matter where he is!"

"Chiyo - "

Chiyo was weeping now, but her voice rose. "You can't sense chi, but I can! I know he's dead! I - I saw it! And I c-couldn't even stop it - I couldn't d-do anything..." she burst into racking sobs.

"Hey. Hey."

Videl crouched by the weeping girl and put an arm around her. After a few moments Chiyo swallowed her sobs and swiped her hand across her face impatiently.

"Sorry," she said.

"Don't be sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. " Videl shrugged. "I guess I just want Gohan to be alive."

Chiyo threw Videl a shrewd glance through reddened eyes.

"You liked my brother, don't you?"

"Uh, yeah..."

"_Like_ like?"

There was another pause before Videl answered. "Yeah."

"I thought so." Chiyo stood up and straightened her shoulders. "Gohan's the best brother in the world – and Boo took him away from me. Shouldn't you understand why I want to avenge him?"

Suddenly, Chiyo frowned. The floor of Kami-sama's palace had shuddered with a very slight tremour; too subtle for anyone but a Saiyan - or half-Saiyan's senses to notice.

"What is it?" Videl asked, glancing at her.

"I don't know." Chiyo motioned to the older girl. "Stay here."

She left the room at a run, checking that her sash was knotted and tucked into her belt. Had Boo and Bobbidi somehow managed to find Kami-sama's palace?

_Impossible_, she thought, casting out her senses for the monster's chi. _Unless they can sense chi..._

Chiyo rounded a corner and skidded into the hallway at the same time her father appeared from outside, looking a lot less unnerved than she was. They found an unusual sight: Mr. Popo, normally calm and polite, battling against two small boys with golden hair.

_Those ratbags!_ Chiyo thought, staring in astonishment as one of them - Goten, for he was a little smaller - struck Mr. Popo with a blow that put him on the floor.

"You two, stay right there!" Goku called out, his strong voice ringing in the corridor. Chiyo automatically cringed at his tone, reminded of the few times when she had been talked to by her father's "discipline voice".

The boys froze and turned around in midair.

"Cripes, it's my sister," Chiyo heard Goten say.

"Mr. Popo, are you alright?" Goku asked, helping the old genie up.

"Yes. Those boys certainly have a lot of energy..."

"Well!" Goku said, the grin returning to his face. "Guess I'll have to get them to work it off, right?"

Chiyo crossed her arms and gave Goten and Trunks a glare that could melt steel. They cringed as she pointed her finger at the ground and landed, huddling together like she had seen them do so many times.

"So what's the story, boys?" she asked.

"Uh - "

"Well, it was like this, I - "

"Yeah Trunks, he - "

"What have I told you both," Chiyo said over the top of them, "time and time again?"

"Use your head before your fists," they muttered in unison.

"That's right. It's a pity you couldn't put it into practice. And now you must apologize to Mr. Popo for your behaviour."

"Sorry, Mr. Popo," they chorused.

Chiyo looked at them, their faces flushed with exertion and eyes still heavy from sleep, and sighed. The next few hours - even days - were not going to be easy for them.

"Come on," she said, putting an arm around each of them. "We've got something to tell you both."


	65. The Next Level

**Chapter 64**

"It - it can't be! It's not true!"

Goten and Trunks were taking the news of Gohan and Vegeta hard.

Chiyo, Piccolo and Goku stood in a small, round room Dende and Mr. Popo had cleared specifically for training. The boys had been led into the room and the news broken to them by Chiyo, who had to hold back her own tears even as they shed theirs.

It was Trunks who had spoken. Being eight years old and determined to be tough, he glared at Chiyo, Goku and Piccolo with eyes that swam with tears.

"Dad can't die!" he said, as if stating it would make it true. Goten, being younger, was crying noisily. Chiyo swallowed several lumps in her throat at the sound. She couldn't look at either of them.

"_We don't have time for crying!_" Goku barked. "Learn this fast if you want revenge! Got that?"

The boys stared at the ground, sniffling. Goku lowered his voice, realizing that even his daughter was cringing at his tone.

"Sorry," he said. "But we don't know when Bobbidi will find us. We've gotta start now."

"Will you use the Room Of Spirit and Time?" Piccolo asked.

"No. They can only use it for two days in their whole lives, right? They might need it later. I'm sure they're gonna learn this quick."

Even if you said yes, Chiyo thought, glancing at her father,_ I don't know if I would let you..._

"Let's start," Goku continued. "You've gotta remember this too, Piccolo. Chiyo? You can stay to watch if you want. You might need to use the technique yourself one day."

Chiyo nodded, although she found herself wondering who she could fuse with if she had to. There was no-one similar to her in size, power or gender around, after all.

"You'll only be able to stay fused for half an hour, even if you succeed," Goku said, and she turned her attention back to him. "Then you'll split off in two and won't be able to fuse again for a while."

"Only half an hour?" Piccolo murmured. "So little..."

"They'll be able to get it done, if they do it right!" Goku replied, grinning at his old friend. "That's how powerful it is! Okay boys, turn Super Saiyan."

The boys stared at him suspiciously. They didn't obey.

"What?" Goku asked.

"What were you doing when Dad and Gohan got killed?" Trunks demanded.

Goku was silent for a moment. Then he said, "I was out cold."

"Knocked out? At a time like that?" Trunks said, glaring at him. "And you're supposed to be strong?"

"What are we gonna be able to learn from you?" Goten said.

"Boys!" Chiyo said sharply.

"How...dare you?" Piccolo growled. "You are speaking to Goku - !"

"It's ok," Goku said evenly. "I am weak now. I could never beat Boo.

"But I can still teach you this trick. If you want to get them back for everyone's deaths, this is the only way."

_"Heh heh heh! We're here again, Earthlings! Bobbidi and Boo!"_

Chiyo closed her eyes and saw the image of Boo and Bobbidi pop into her mind. They were floating above an enormous city. Her fists clenched at her sides - she knew what was going to happen.

_"I've found an even bigger city this time. And it's about to be reduced to nothing...unless Demon Jr. Trunks, Goten and Chiyo show themselves!"_

"H-he's talking about us!" Trunks gasped.

Goten squeezed his eyes shut. "Close your eyes, Trunks! You can see them!"

"Don't look!" Piccolo growled. "It's better that way - "

_"Looks like no-one's going to help me," _Bobbidi said. _"Oh well...the casualties increase. Maybe this time they'll turn into chocolate."_

Again, the tentacle on Boo's head flipped forward. Chiyo opened her eyes and stared resolutely at the ground, feeling her chi beginning to rise by itself.

_"Now Boo's all stuffed with chocolate. We'll just blow up the next town. Heh heh...Where shall we go next?"_

"Bobbidi! Boo!"

Chiyo heard the words out loud, not in her mind. She glanced at the two boys, whose expressions were a mixture of horror and anger.

"This is Trunks!"

"I'm Goten!"

_"Oh...at last, at last!"_

"We can't do it now, but soon - we'll kill you both!" Trunks said.

"Stop talking to him!" Piccolo rumbled. "He'll find out where we are!"

_"Hey! Where are you?"_ Bobbidi shrieked. _"Come out here! Are you hiding? Cowards!"_

The wizard fell silent. When the silence stretched to half a minute, Goku spoke again.

"Now, are you ready to learn?"

Goten and Trunks nodded.

"Good. Then let's get started."

Chiyo slipped out of the room as Goku began to talk. She would be a distraction to the boys, and besides - she had her own training to do.

Only Kuririn was out in the courtyard when she emerged outside. He was lounging on the stairs, and glanced up when she appeared.

"What's happening?" he asked. "Are the kids training?"

"Yeah, I think so." Chiyo pulled her boots off and began to stretch. "And so am I."

"Right, right." Kuririn looked uneasy as he edged sideways towards the entrance to Kami-sama's palace. "Well, I'll leave you to it, then..."

"Chiyo!"

Bulma appeared suddenly behind Kuririn, pushing past him as she strode towards Chiyo. "I want to talk to you!"

"Bulma, do you have to - "

"I want to know," Bulma continued, ignoring Kuririn, "just where you were when Goten and Trunks got knocked out. I think you owe me and your mother an explanation for that one - seeing as we usually rely on _you_ to keep them out of trouble!"

Chiyo cringed at the sharp edge to Bulma's voice. This woman was almost like her second mother; Chiyo had been back and forth between Mt Paozu and Capsule Corp since she was a baby, and she and Gohan were practically part of the family.

_What can I say?_ She thought, looking at the ground. 'I was knocked out' seemed like a weak excuse.

Kuririn patted Chiyo on the shoulder. "Come on Bulma, is this necessary?" he said. "It's not Chiyo's fault Vegeta and Gohan got killed."

"Did I say that? All I want to know is where she was when Goten and Trunks were in danger."

"I don't know who knocked them out," Chiyo replied wearily. "I but I think I was out cold, too."

"Vegeta knocked them out," Kuririn interrupted.

"What? Why?"

He shrugged. "I guess so Piccolo and I could take them and Chiyo to safety. She was in danger too," he added, cutting off Bulma's reply. "I saw her. She was so badly beaten she couldn't walk. She couldn't have defended herself, let alone the boys."

Bulma's voice softened. "Is this true, Chiyo?"

Chiyo's cheeks burned with shame, but she nodded.

There was a long moment of silence, in which Bulma stared at her. Then she sighed.

"Sorry," she said. "I guess I forget I'm not the only one who's grieving."

Chiyo was afraid if she opened her mouth she'd cry, so she simply nodded again.

"Vegeta sacrificed himself so our kids could live," Kuririn said quietly. "Don't forget that Chiyo is still a kid too, Bulma. You didn't have to watch Vegeta and Gohan die, did you?"

Chiyo wished, more than anything, that he had not said that. She stared at the ground until her eyes began to blur.

There was another moment of silence, and then Chiyo felt two arms wrap around her and pull her close. She held herself still, trembling with the effort of keeping her composure, and let Bulma hug her. Finally Bulma let go, kissed the girl on the forehead, and went back inside. Chiyo sat down and put her head in her hands.

"It _was_ my fault."

Kuririn crouched beside Chiyo and leaned towards her. "Son Chiyo, look at me."

She raised her head.

"Was Gohan able to outrun Boo?"

"No, but I'm stronger than - "

"Was Vegeta able to defeat Boo?"

"No, but he's stronger than - "

He silenced her with a raised hand. "Then what makes you think you could have stopped Boo yourself?"

When Chiyo was silent, he continued. "Sometimes an opponent is tougher than you expect. Sometimes they're tougher than you can handle at the time. You got beaten, but you survived when the others didn't."

"Yeah, but I wasn't a threat, so they left me and - "

"And you survived. I'll tell ya something, Gohan would be happy to see you alive. And Vegeta...well, he cared enough to show Piccolo where you were, so he could take you to safety. That means something, right?

"This has happened before, but we all pull through somehow. Think of it this way - you're alive for a reason."

Chiyo frowned. "I guess you're right," she said finally.

"I know I'm right." Kuririn offered a calloused hand to the teenager. "You've got training to do, right? How about humouring your old uncle Kuririn for a sparring match?"

"Alright."

_"Attention, Earthlings! This is Bobbidi the warlock."_

Bobbidi's shrill voice sounded in Chiyo's head the moment she threw a punch at Kuririn. Her swing carried her forward too far, and his answering kick caught her in the thigh. She winced, but Kuririn offered no apology. He was staring into space, listening hard for the wizard's voice.

_"I've acquired some information I couldn't wait to pass on,"_ Bobbidi cackled. _"It seems one of the four brats lives in Capsule Corporation in West City."_

Chiyo clenched her fists in anger. _Someone's told Bobbidi where Trunks lives!_

_"We're going there now. I hope you're there, so you'd better show yourself. Your city is going to disappear."_

Silence fell. Then Chiyo heard Bulma shouting from inside Kami-sama's palace.

"My parents are going to be killed!"

"Don't worry," Goku answered. "We can bring them back with the Dragon Balls."

Kuririn and Chiyo followed the sound of his voice into the chamber where Goten and Trunks were training.

"No, we brought back everyone from the tournament with the first wish," Piccolo was saying.

"Oh yeah." Goku scratched his head. "Why don't we just wish for everything back to normal?"

"No...I don't think that would work..."

"Goku, listen!" Bulma snapped. "If we let Boo get to West City, he'll destroy the Dragon Radar. It has unique parts that can't be rebuilt."

"Oh."

Goku scratched his head. "Well, okay. Trunks, go back home and get the Dragon Radar. I'll stall Bobbidi and Boo."

Nauseous fear erupted in the pit of Chiyo's stomach.

_You can't be serious_! She screamed silently.

Trunks looked uncertain. "Are you sure?" he said. "They're pretty tough. Won't you just get killed?"

"Don't worry about me. Just hurry up and get going."

Bulma caught her young son by the shoulder as he went to leave.

"Trunks, promise me you'll come back if it gets too dangerous."

"Okay."

Trunks left Kami-sama's palace at a run. Chiyo didn't watch him go; her thoughts were turned inwards, on the brief moment of cowardice that had stopped her from offering to go in Trunks' place; or fighting Bobbidi and Boo alongside her father.

"Hey, sis?"

Chiyo glanced down at a tug on her pants.

"Are you okay?" Goten asked. "You're all white like a ghost."

Chiyo felt herself flush as several pairs of eyes turned towards her, studying her.

"She's fine," Goku said finally, putting a hand on Goten's head. "Goten, I want you to stay here and hold down the fort for me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good." Goku ruffled his youngest son's hair. "You're a good boy." He put two fingers to his forehead and vanished. Chiyo closed her eyes.

A picture formed in her mind's eye, as if she was watching it on film. Her father was there, floating with Bobbidi and Boo above a city. Probably West City, Chiyo thought.

"I thought you were killed by Vegeta, but you're still alive," Bobbidi was saying. "I should thank you. Because of you, I was able to resurrect Boo."

"Vegeta and I underestimated you," Goku replied calmly. "We didn't think it was possible for Boo to be this strong."

Bobbidi cackled. "Then why did you come? I know! You came to tell us where those four are, didn't you?"

"Not a chance. Two of them are my kids. I came to warn you."

"Warn us?" Bobbidi said shrilly. "That's funny. Let's let the whole world hear this!"

"You'll find those four people soon enough, I promise," Goku said. "Wait until then! Don't destroy anything else, or hurt any innocent people!"

"Why wait? Are they planning something?'

"Yes. They're training to destroy you."

Bobbidi and Boo began to cackle.

"They'll never defeat us!" Bobbidi shrieked. "Not in a thousand years!"

"Oh, you'll see."

Bobbidi pointed a shrivelled finger at Goku. "We won't wait. Have them come here now! If not, we'll continue to kill Earthlings."

Goku smiled. "I thought so. Well, if you want to get to Capsule Corp then you'll have to go through me."

Bobbidi cackled again. "That's funny!" he said. "He wants to end up like Vegeta. Boo, show him what you're made of!"

There was a pause, in which Chiyo saw in her mind the enormous creature that had beaten her nearly to death. She swallowed, trying to ignore the beads of sweat that popped out on her forehead.

"What are you doing?" Bobbidi demanded, as Boo began to whistle. "Get over there and kill him!"

"OK!"

"What are you doing?" Goku interrupted, as Boo began to flap his arms comically. "Why do you obey Bobbidi? You're a thousand times stronger than he is."

Boo paused, but Bobbidi interrupted with an annoyed grunt.

"Shut up! Don't change the subject! I'm Boo's master - of course he has to obey me. What?" he added, as Boo turned to look at him. "Do you want to be sealed up again?"

"You seal me up, he kill you," Boo replied with a nasty little grin.

Papa, what are you thinking? Chiyo wondered, focusing on her father's face. What was that for?

There was another awkward pause, then Boo shook his head.

"No matter, Boo kill him. No like this guy more than you."

Boo began to wave his arms, evidently getting ready for the fight.

"Watch this, Earthlings!" Bobbidi's voice boomed. "This is what will happen to you if you try to get in our way!"

There was a burst of light and Goku transformed straight into Super Saiyan level 2. Seconds later, Chiyo felt his chi, and heard Goten start in surprise.

"What a waste of energy!" Bobbidi cackled. "Vegeta did the same thing, and look what happened to him!"

"I'm guessing an ascended Super Saiyan isn't much of a challenge for you," Goku said. "So how about I take it up to the next level?"


	66. Super Goku

**Chapter 65 - Super Goku**

"Goku, what are you doing?" Piccolo said out loud.

Chiyo didn't bother to comment on the revelation. She had guessed that her father handsome trick up his sleeve; after all, he knew he couldn't beat Boo by himself.

"I'm interested to see this trick of yours," Bobbidi said, "but time is short. West City is expecting us, so...maybe next time. Boo, hurry up and kill him."

"What are you doing?" Goku shouted suddenly, making Chiyo jump. "Stop goofing off and get the radar!"

_What on Earth?_ she thought, moments before realising that Trunks must have stopped when he felt Goku's chi. She cast out her senses and felt Trunks' chi moving again, towards West City.

"What radar?" Bobbidi demanded. "Did I miss something? Who were you talking to and what is this radar?"

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

Bobbidi cackled. "It sounds like you're planning something useless."

"You'll see."

Goku's chi dropped and his hair fell back into its normal mop.

"Why you go normal?" Boo said curiously.

"First I'll explain about Super Saiyan so you can understand," Goku said.

"He's giving Trunks some time to get the radar," Kuririn said out loud.

Chiyo didn't respond. She saw and felt her father transform to Super Saiyan.

"This is Super Saiyan," he said. His chi soared again and he transformed into Super Saiyan 2. "And this is the ascended Super Saiyan. I guess you could call it Super Saiyan 2."

"What a useless transformation," Bobbidi snapped. "You changed your hair."

"Heh, you just wait."

"Has he really found a way to surpass an ascended Saiyan?" Piccolo said out loud. "Is it possible?"

"He's gotta be bluffing," Kuririn said, with a slightly hysterical edge to his voice. "I mean...nothing can be stronger...!"

_If nothing can be stronger, then why can't Super Saiyan 2 beat Boo?_ Chiyo wondered. But she said nothing, and watched her father intently in her mind.

"And this is...even...stronger!"

And with that, Goku screamed.

Chiyo reeled as her father's chi exploded. In her mind she saw him raising his chi, higher, higher...until bolts of electricity surged around his body and the lookout began to shake under her feet.

_Incredible!_ she thought, almost stumbling from the unsteady ground. _I can feel it even from here...!_

"How is he generating this much power?" Piccolo roared. No-one could answer the Namekian's question. But as Goku's chi continued to climb and in their minds, he transformed physically, Chiyo knew this was a technique she would never see on Earth. For no person who was alive could have sustained a transformation like that - even as she thought that, she wondered exactly how he was doing it.

Finally, the chi reached a peak, and a changed man floated confidently before Bobbidi and Boo, staring at them with the hint of a smirk playing around his mouth. His hair was thick and long, billowing around his body and discharging the occasional bolt of electricity.

"I'm sorry that took so long," Goku said, "but I'm still not used to this transformation."

"Is that...really Goku?" Muten Roshi murmured out loud.

"This is what I call a Super Saiyan 3," Goku said quietly.

"Not scared!" Boo trilled, pointing at the transformed Saiyan. "Big hair make you funny!"

"I'm inclined to agree," Bobbidi said dryly. "This Super what 3 is ridiculous. Boo, you can take him easily."

"Let's do this quickly," Goku replied.

"Trunks has just landed," Piccolo interrupted.

"Good," Bulma said. "It'll just take a second to get the Dragon Radar off my dad."

Goku charged.

Chiyo barely registered that he had moved. Before she knew it, Goku had seized Boo by the odd tentacle on his head and dealt him a blow she could almost feel from here. Still holding his tentacle, he began to punch Boo, bouncing the creature back and forth while keeping a firm hold on him. The scene was so comical she would have laughed, hadn't the situation been so serious.

As the rest of the group watched, Goku swung Boo by his tentacle and sent him flying into the ocean. But sure enough, within a few seconds Boo was back in the air. He raised his gloved hands to Goku and began to blast him; small chi blasts that came at the Saiyan like a barrage.

"That's Vegeta's technique," Chiyo said.

"Yeah..." Kuririn sounded troubled. "But how would Boo know it? He didn't absorb Vegeta or anything, did he?"

"No. I'm pretty sure Boo can copy an opponent's technique after fighting them a little. He used some of my own attacks against me."

Kuririn fell silent, and Chiyo turned her attention back to the fight, glad he had not asked her for specifics of the fight between her and Boo. No-one had asked her to explain what had happened, and for that she was grateful; she didn't want to think about it more than she had to.

Boo appeared in front of Goku, and his eyes opened into narrow little slits.

_Dad, watch out!_ Chiyo screamed silently.

The creature's arm shot out and punched Goku in the face - a direct shot.

But instead of being knocked flying, Goku turned towards his opponent and grinned.

Again, he charged.

The fight started up with a strangely thrilling intensity. Chiyo could hardly see who was winning - Boo and Goku were a tangled mass of flying fists and feet, but each blow sent visible shockwaves through the city they were floating above. She could imagine the terror of the people below, as they looked up and saw what could be their salvation - or their death.

Eventually the two broke apart, and for a moment simply stared at each other.

"You strong," Boo said approvingly.

"Thanks," Goku said, with a wry smile. "So are you."

"Come on, punch him!" Bobbidi interrupted shrilly. "Don't just stand there!"

An annoyed expression flitted over Boo's face.

"Quiet!" he said, scowling.

"What?" Bobbidi shrieked. "How dare you talk to me like that? I am your master!"

"I can't believe I forgot!" Bulma shouted suddenly.

Startled, Chiyo opened her eyes and blinked furiously to adjust to the bright sunlight.

"Trunks is looking in the wrong place," Bulma added, at the others' confused looks. "It must have slipped my mind, but after we looked for the dragon balls I left the radar in the plane."

"Does Trunks know?" Kuririn asked.

"What did I just say?"

"Oh, alright..."

"We have to get in touch with Trunks then," Kamesen'nin said grimly. "Does anyone have a phone?"

"I doubt they have phones up here," Chiyo said dryly. "This doesn't look like the sort of place."

"I always carry my phone on me," Videl interrupted, pulling a black cellular phone out of her pocket. "I know you're used to relying on your powers, but you should look into technology sometime. I don't know what I'd do without it."

"Hey thanks!" Kuririn said, accepting the phone. "I'm gonna call Trunks right now."

"Hey, that phone doesn't have a cord," Chiyo said, watching as Kuririn punched Trunks' phone number into the phone. "How does it work?"

Videl and Bulma both gave the teenager odd looks.

"You don't know how to work a cell phone?" Videl asked.

"I live in a regional district," Chiyo said defensively. "The nearest city is over five hundred kilometres away. We don't have much technology out there."

"I suppose," Videl replied, shrugging. "I guess I'm just used to it, living in the city and all."

"Great, Mom, but is Trunks there?" Bulma said impatiently, holding the phone to her ear. "I need to speak to him."

There was a pause, then Bulma raised her voice and took on a commanding tone. "And I don't have time for his smart mouth! You tell him to get on the phone right now!"

There was a faint scuffling and then Trunks' voice blared indignantly from

the phone.

_"What? I'm busy!"_

"Don't you take that tone with me, young man!" Bulma snapped. "I'm calling to tell you the Dragon Radar is in the plane everyone used earlier today to collect the dragon balls." There was a pause. "You'd better be. Get back here quickly." She flipped the phone shut and handed it back to Videl. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Chiyo closed her eyes again and a picture popped into her mind; Goku floating above Boo with his hands cupped.

_"Ka - me - ha - me - HA!"_

There was a massive burst of blue light, and the chi blast surged towards Boo. The creature barely had time to register what was happening before the Kamehameha collided with his pink body - and burst through.

Bobbidi screamed.

"Noooooo!"

The blast skipped across the ocean before soaring into the sky. Chiyo imagined it bursting through the Earth's atmosphere, into space, before fizzling out in the airless vacuum.

Boo floated, suspended in the air with most of his torso blasted away. But Chiyo knew what would happen; she had seen him recover from similar wounds. And sure enough, Boo's body popped back to normal a few moments later. What she did not expect, though, was for him to cup his fat hands into an all-too-familiar

stance.

"Dad, get out of there!" Chiyo said out loud, seconds before Boo fired.

The Kamehameha surged towards the Saiyan, the mirror image of the technique he had just used on Boo. Goku lifted both hands and struck the blast, sending it soaring back to Boo.

But the monster was clever enough, at least, to anticipate his move. He too punched the Kamehameha away - but not towards Goku. Instead, the blast barely missed Bobbidi as it collided with a city on the horizon.

BOOM!

Chiyo both felt, saw and heard the massive shockwave as a signficant part of the planet exploded. Kami-sama's lookout was shaking from the impact, and although Chiyo chose to block it out, she knew that tens of thousands of people had died in that instant - and she hated Boo even more for it.

There was a pause in which Goku stared at Boo, then he grinned.

"I'm impressed by your fighting technique," he said. "I've fought beings from nameless galaxies, but you by far are the best."

His chi dropped, and he returned to normal.

_Trunks must be heading back to the lookout_, Chiyo realised.

"Hey, why you go normal?" Boo demanded.

Goku grinned. "I had fun, but I don't have time to stay here and fight you. Bye."

"Boo, don't let him go!" Bobbidi shrieked. "Get him! If you brush this pest out of the way, then those four rats might appear!"

"Hold it, Bobbidi," Goku said, frowning. "Those four _rats_ have names: Piccolo, Trunks, Goten and Chiyo. And I promise you, give them two days and they'll be ready to fight you. There's no need for you to kill anyone else."

"They strong?" Boo asked.

"Unbelievably."

"Do you think I'm going to even consider that?" Bobbidi cackled. "It won't make a difference! They'll never be able to defeat the two of us!"

"Well, they'll only be fighting one, because the other one does nothing but bark orders." Goku grinned. "Boo, I think you're much too strong to fight under the control of a coward like Bobbidi."

He put two fingers to his forehead and vanished.

Chiyo opened her eyes, knowing that her father would be arriving any minute. As the picture in her mind faded, her troubled thoughts replaced it.

She was way out of her league here. Even though for seven years she had been training hard as if nothing had changed, it seemed to have made little impact on her strength. She supposed training in the afterlife was different, but...

_Maybe I should have stayed in the afterlife as a kid_, Chiyo wondered, but instantly dismissed the thought. She wouldn't want to come back to life seven years after and find she was technically younger than Goten.

But somehow she had to get stronger. She didn't want to be left behind.

And suddenly, brilliantly, an idea popped into her head.

A familiar chi appeared a few metres away from her - and seconds later, Goku popped into view.

"Daddy!" Goten said joyfully, throwing himself into his father's arms. "You were great Dad!"

"How do you feel?" Piccolo asked.

"Fine," Goku replied, though Chiyo thought he looked a little worn out. She wouldn't have blamed him if he was.

"Trunks found the radar and is on his way back," Bulma said, folding her arms and approaching the group gathering around Goku. "So I guess we avoided one catastrophe."

"Yeah, I know. Even if Boo does destroy West City, we'll be able to undo the damage and wish back everyone."

_That is, if we're still alive,_ Chiyo said to herself. The thought was depressing, but she pushed it to the back of her mind.

_We've just got to be prepared, _she thought. _That's the best we can do._


	67. Out Of Time

**Chapter 66 - Out Of Time**

A brief lull fell over Kami-sama's lookout. Goku continued to stand where he had arrived moments before, glancing down with a slight frown on his face. Goten and Kuririn sat down in the courtyard and Bulma leaned against a palm tree, but Chiyo was too restless to sit still. She paced back and forth, replaying the fight between Boo and her father blow by blow, analyzing how his Super Saiyan 3 form affected his technique.

It wasn't that long ago that becoming a Super Saiyan was considered a legendary feat. Gohan had explained to her a lot of the battles between Freeza and the Saiyans when she turned ten years old. She had been a baby in the time of Freeza, and even Goku had been reluctant to tell her the details when she was a kid.

"I saw Dad turn Super Saiyan," Gohan had said, his dark eyes lighting up with the memory of it. "At that time, it was like a legend come true."

Shortly after, Trunks came from the future as a Super Saiyan, followed by Vegeta, Gohan and even herself. Now even Goten and Trunks were Super Saiyans with hardly any training.

Maybe it was her father becoming a Super Saiyan that did it, Chiyo thought. Or maybe it wasn't so hard to become one in the first place and the Saiyans never had a chance to reach their full potential.

"What is it, Son?"

Piccolo's deep voice cut into Chiyo's thoughts, and she looked up. Goku now stood at the edge of the lookout, staring down at the land hundreds of kilometres below.

"Boo killed Bobbidi," he said.

Surprised, Chiyo searched for Bobbidi's chi. Sure enough, the warlock's chi had vanished - but Boo's remained.

"I had a feeling he would do it someday," Goku continued. "But he finally did it..."

"So, he has no-one left to give him orders," Piccolo said. "Perhaps Boo will settle down."

"Maybe now things will turn out good after all," Bulma said hopefully.

"I don't know," Goku replied grimly. "But I sure hope so."

Chiyo recalled the vicious smile on Boo's face the last time they met, and seriously doubted it.

And sure enough, several minutes later the lookout began to shake. Chiyo ran to the edge of the lookout and peered below. A picture formed in her mind; a city in ruins with the massive figure of Boo standing over a screaming woman.

"It looks like we were too optimistic," Piccolo growled.

"I guess it's in his nature to cause destruction," Goku said, sighing. "Probably the only thing he's known."

"If he felt like it, he could destroy the Earth right now!"

Goku shook his head. "I don't think he would destroy the planet. He seemed happy when I told him there were strong fighters coming to face him in two days. I still feel bad for the people below."

Chiyo bit her tongue to keep from protesting.

_I don't want to gamble the lives of people on Earth while I'm up here safe,_ she thought, frowning. _But I don't know what else to do…_

"We can bring everything back to normal with the Dragon Balls, right?" Kuririn asked, standing up.

"Perhaps. But that won't do any good if the boys are not ready to fuse and defeat Boo in two days. Teaching them should be our priority."

"You and the boys are gonna have to learn fast," Goku replied grimly. "I don't think I even have a full hour left."

"What? Why?" Chiyo demanded, cutting across Piccolo's reply. Her chest tightened in sudden apprehension. "It hasn't even been one day yet!"

"Yeah, why do you have to leave so soon?" Goten said, standing up. "Please don't, Dad? I like you."

"I like you too," Goku replied, smiling at his son, "but Super Saiyan 3 is only supposed to be used in the afterlife. It uses too much energy and makes me very tired."

"So that's why you seem so exhausted," Kuririn mused.

"Yeah."

"Tick, tock, tick, tock!"

A little old woman in a pointed witch hat suddenly appeared in the air before Goku. Chiyo stared, puzzled, then realised this must be the Uranai Baba she had heard Kamesen'nin mention once or twice.

"You have thirty minutes left," the old woman said. "You should prepare to return soon."

"What?" Goku yelped. "Only that! Thirty minutes?"

"That's right."

Thirty minutes!

Chiyo felt surprised at the sudden ache in her chest. So much had happened in the past day that she hardly had time to think about how her father's presence on Earth after seven years had affected her. But now when his departure was so close, she began to feel saddened.

Chiyo wandered away from the group and sat down on the edge of the lookout with her legs hanging over the edge. She wondered what time it was. Based on when she had been rescued by Piccolo, by rights it should have been around seven or eight in the evening on Earth, but because Kami-sama's lookout was so high, it was always daytime here. She suddenly felt tired.

_Maybe if I go to sleep and wake up, it'll just be a dream_, she thought. _I'll wake up in my bed at home, with Gohan in the next room._

"So you're going to wager the world's future on the shoulders of children?"

Piccolo's voice floated from where he and Goku were standing, still looking over the edge of the tower.

Chiyo didn't bother glancing their way.

"You don't think that's the best choice?" Goku replied.

"They're very young."

"Maybe, but they have potential. And look at how Chiyo turned out. She's the fighter she is because of your training, not mine."

Piccolo snorted. "You always were too soft, Son. But I am sorry about Gohan. Give him my regards when you reach the afterlife."

"I will. I think the worst thing for him is not being able to see you and the others."

A sudden flash of familiar chi had Chiyo clambering to her feet. Seconds later, Trunks appeared over the side of the lookout.

"Hey, Trunks is back!" Kuririn shouted. He ran over to the boy with Goten following close behind.

"It's good to see my little Trunks," Bulma said fondly. "You must be tired."

"I'm fine, Mother," Trunks replied impatiently.

"Of course," she teased. "Because you're so grown up!"

Trunks held out the Dragon Radar as Goku approached him.

"Here it is, sir!" he said. "Confirm, is this your Dragon Radar?"

"Confirmed!" Goku replied with a grin. "Good job, soldier."

"Thank you sir!"

"Great!" Bulma said happily. "Now thanks to Trunks, we can track down the Dragon Balls and have everything back to normal."

"When do we get to train for fusion?" Trunks demanded. "You didn't start without me, did you?"

"No, of course not. Now - let's begin!"

"Gohan...Gohan..."

Kami-sama's lookout shook slightly as in another room Goten and Trunks raised their chi as high as it would go. The slight tremour in the floor didn't bother Chi-Chi, who was still out after her fainting fit a few hours before. She was muttering in her sleep, her dark hair tossed about her pale face.

Chiyo and her grandfather sat by the makeshift bed. They had been silent for some time, both staring at the unconscious woman as if they looked hard enough, she would wake up.

"Chi-Chi," Gyumao sighed, brushing a massive hand over his daughter's face. "My poor girl."

"Gohan...Gohan..."

"She's going to have to speak up a lot louder for him to hear her in the afterlife."

The old woman, Uranai Baba, appeared by the bedside, still sitting on her crystal ball.

"Oh, it's you," Gyumao said. "Can you tell us how much time Goku has left?"

"Well, judging by his energy...I'd say around fifteen minutes."

The old woman left and Gyumao bent over the bed.

"Fifteen minutes!" he said. "Oh, Chi-Chi, please snap out of it soon! Or you'll wake up to another of your boys gone!"

_Fifteen minutes_, Chiyo thought, and lowered her head. She knew this would be the last time she saw her father; being allowed to come to Earth for one day was a special privilege that apparently wasn't handed out easily. And if he managed to get it again, when would he next come back? It could be years later; she would be an adult. One day she would be older than her own father.

The thought was mind-boggling, and Chiyo put her head in her hands. He would miss out on the milestones of her life. Not just hers, but Gohan's and Goten's lives. And Goten had years to grow up...

Chiyo felt a massive arm wrap around her shoulders and draw her away from the bedside. Gyumao pulled her onto his lap as if she were a child. Unable to hold her composure anymore, Chiyo turned her face inwards and let the hot tears roll down her cheeks, though she was silent throughout. The lump in her throat grew painful, then began to ease. Hours of holding back her own grief and anger had come to this. She knew the one person she could cry in front of was Gyumao. There had always been an understanding between them that only grandfather and granddaughter could share.

When Chiyo could move without shaking, she began to wipe her face roughly on her shirt. Halfway through her task, her grandfather's hand rested underneath her chin and lifted her face up so she was looking at him.

"My poor girl," he said. "Have you been holding back all this time?"

Chiyo nodded, sniffling. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry." Gyumao's black eyes were serious. "Don't ever be sorry for feeling sad. You mustn't forget you're not an adult yet."

"I wish I was," Chiyo muttered. "I could be doing more."

"You're already doing enough," Gyumao said firmly. "Don't push yourself. For me. And your mom. Okay?"

"I'll try."

"Good."

Gyumao brushed Chiyo's hair away from her face, as if she were a small girl again.

BOOM!

Kami-sama's tower suddenly shook with a massive sound not unlike a thunderclap. Chiyo stumbled and nearly fell off her grandfather's lap. Both were whey-faced.

"Stay there!" Chiyo shouted, and without waiting for a reply took off, running as fast as she could. The chi she had begun to sense was coming from the same room as the boys were in. Had Boo found them?

_That's impossible_, Chiyo thought. _But then again..._

She found herself sweating with fear as she ran, and felt ashamed for it. There was no time for fear; no time for anything but action.

Chiyo blew past Bulma, Kuririn, Kamesen'nin, Oolong and Eighteen in the courtyard; she heard Kuririn cry out in surprise as she ran by, but the others (with the exception of Eighteen) would have seen nothing but a dark blur.

She was coming to the training room now; the sound of rushing wind and the boys' voices reached her ears.

Chiyo leapt straight into the air and caught hold of a ledge. She pulled herself upwards, fighting against the wind, and prepared to face what was coming.

But there was only her friends. And Goku...Goku was a Super Saiyan level 3.

Now Chiyo realised why she hadn't recognised his chi. The third transformation was out of this world; all golden light, thick hair and cold eyes.

It was worse than Super Saiyan 2.

Goku glanced upwards and seemed to notice Chiyo for the first time. His chi faltered, and he dropped to one knee.

"Son, are you alright?" Piccolo said quickly.

"Yeah, don't worry about me." Goku returned to his normal state and grinned at his daughter. "I didn't scare you, did I?"

Chiyo shrugged.

"Let's get back to work now," the Saiyan continued. "You boys promised me."

"Son, your time is up."

Uranai Baba had appeared again on her crystal ball.

"That prank you just called used up your remaining energy."

Goku straightened. "Alright. Piccolo, pick up where I left off, okay? These boys aren't too graceful, but they will learn fast, and I believe in them."

"But Goku - "

"I'm putting my trust in you, Piccolo. You've earned it."

Piccolo paused, then inclined his head. "Thank you."

Goku turned to Goten and Trunks, who were edging forward with looks of confusion on their faces. "Boys, I know you will show Piccolo the same respect and dedication that you showed me."

"They'd better!" Chiyo muttered. The boys looked alarmed, but Goku just smiled.

The entire group gathered out in the tiled courtyard of Kami-sama's lookout. With a pang of sadness, Chiyo realised her mother was nowhere to be seen; neither was Gyumao.

"Things aren't the same around here without you, boy," Kamesen'nin wheezed. "These guys won't let me have any fun!"

"We'll miss you," Bulma said, smiling.

"You still think about us when you're in the afterlife, right?" Kuririn asked.

"Yeah!"

"Goku, _no!_"

Chiyo glanced over her shoulder. Chi-Chi was running towards them, tears rolling down her pale cheeks. Seeing her mother cry wasn't an uncommon sight, but with her own emotions close to the surface, it wasn't an easy thing to witness.

"What am I going to do without you, Goku?" Chi-Chi said tearfully. "Gohan's gone, and now you're leaving me too."

"You've still got Chiyo and Goten."

"But what if Boo takes them away from me, too?"

Goku patted his wife's hand. "Once Goten learns the Fusion technique, he won't lose! As for Chiyo..."

Chiyo didn't hear the rest of the conversation. So it was finally time for her father to leave. With all that had happened in the past day, she hardly had time to think about how she would feel when he left. Now the memory of their last goodbye overwhelmed her.

_The little girl cocked her head to one side. The happy expression that was on her face vanished as she put two and two together._

_"But that..."_

_"Chiyo."_

_"That means..."_

_"Chiyo."_

_"No," she said, her face crumpling. "I don't wanna go if you're not coming too."_

_"Chiyo," Goku repeated for the third time. "It's for the best. Something that Bulma said made me think. People only come to the Earth and try to destroy it because I'm here. I don't want you and Gohan and Chi-Chi hurt because of me."_

_"We won't be, I promise," the little girl sobbed. "Please come back with me! Please!"_

After a few moments Chiyo became aware of a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes, surprised to find she had been squeezing her eyes shut tight. Goku knelt before her, his face slightly lower than hers.

"I know what you're going to do," he said quietly, "and I'm proud of you for it."

Chiyo gazed at him silently. She was afraid if she opened her mouth she'd cry.

"I want you to train hard so you can face Boo if - if somehow the boys can't do it themselves."

"Okay."

"And if…in case something happens to Piccoo, I want you to learn the fusion technique so you can teach it."

"Yes, Papa."

Goku paused for a moment, then put his hand on her head. "I'm counting on you. I knew that Gohan would be as proud of you as I am."

That did it. Chiyo felt her composure beginning to crumble - and it was made worse by her father drawing her closer, both hugging her and shielding her from the others' view.

"It's time," Uranai Baba said. "I can't wait any longer."

"Alright." Goku stood up and gave her a last pat on the shoulder.

"Uhh..uhh.." Goten stuttered suddenly.

Goku glanced at his youngest son. "What is it, Goten?"

The little boy fidgeted nervously, but said nothing.

"Oh, I know!" Chi-Chi said. "You want a hug from Daddy before he goes, don't you?"

Goten nodded.

"Well, why didn't you say so?"

Goku scooped the boy up and held him close. "There's nothing to be ashamed of. Goten, you'll take care of Mom and your big sister for me, won't you?"

"Uh-huh," the boy said tremulously.

"Good. You're the man of the house now." Goku placed his son on the ground. "I'm proud of you, Son."

Goku stepped back and began to float upwards with Baba. "Bye, everyone!" he called cheerfully. "I'll see you in the afterlife!"

The others shouted and waved goodbye, but the last remnant of the Son family stood silent, watching him fade away. Chi-Chi put an arm around her daughter's shoulders, and Chiyo took Goten's hand.

At last, Piccolo gestured to the two boys. "Come," he said. "We have work to do. Chiyo? You will watch and learn."

Chiyo nodded. "For a bit. Then I have training."

Piccolo gave the girl a swift, searching look.

"You're going to the Room Of Spirit and Time, aren't you?"


	68. Prepared For the Worst

**Chapter 67 - Prepared For the Worst**

The door swung shut behind Chiyo, and she welcomed the silence that descended upon her.

The Room Of Spirit and Time stretched before her, blank and white and featureless. The beds were made up and the refrigerator was fully stocked. The Room was ready for use - and use it, Chiyo would.

A person could only use the Room for 48 hours in their life. She had 24 hours left. She had been here once, with Piccolo, when she was five years old. That year had been the hardest of her young life, where Piccolo had forced her into the harshest training possible, pushing her to her limits.

But Piccolo was not here, and so she had to push herself past any, if not all barriers that stood in her way.

There was a lot of work to be done.

_Almost a day later..._

Chiyo smelled something burning.

Clarity returned suddenly as she took a breath and found herself choking. Smoke filled her lungs and swirled around her. Her first thought was that her bed on fire, but soon realised: _everything_ was on fire.

Chiyo leapt from the bed, almost tripping over her smouldering blankets, and stumbled blindly outside. Smoke stung her eyes and filled her lungs, making her cough. The fire raged around even in the featureless dimension outside the Room. It was unbearably hot.

"BOO!"

A misshapen figure appeared in the inferno. Chiyo sucked in a poisoned breath as she recognised the monster Bobbidi had created. She began to raise her chi.

"Boo!" the monster squealed, and his eyes opened to narrow slits.

Chiyo attacked. Boo threw his arms wide in challenge.

But there was something wrong; no matter how fast or she ran toward Boo, he was just out of her reach. Soon she was fighting through the flames to get to the monster, but she was coming no closer. Now the flames were burning her, blackening her vision, and now a disembodied voice was ringing in her ears.

_"Chiyo...Chiyo..."_

The voice was familiar, but Chiyo couldn't quite place where she had heard it.

_"Chiyo! Chiyo!"_

The voice was getting more urgent now, its deep tones tinged with a rough edge. It was so familiar. Where had she heard it?

_"Chiyo! Get up! What the hell are you doing?"_

"Gahh!"

Chiyo sat bolt upright, her lungs protesting as she gasped for a breath. She was back in her bed.

No fire.

No Boo.

It had been a dream.

_"Son Chiyo!"_

But the voice was still there. And now Chiyo recognised it - Piccolo. He was nowhere to be seen, but she knew he could speak to her mind directly.

"What?" she said out loud. "What's wrong?"

_"There's been an...unexpected development,"_ Piccolo replied grimly. _"Boo is here."_

"Here?"

_"Are you still half asleep, child? Boo is _here_, at Kami-sama's lookout!"_

"Oh!"

Chiyo scrambled from her bed and began to dress. Boo had found them!

But how? They thought he couldn't sense chi...but had he been concealing that ability?

_Maybe he could sense us all along_, Chiyo thought, swallowing a lump in her throat. _Maybe he's been playing with us._

_"Boo is here, but he's changed,"_ Piccolo continued_. "Because of the foolishness of Earthlings, he's transformed into an even stronger version of himself."_

"Great."

_"He wants to fight Goten and Trunks. I'm going to stall him for as long as possible, but I need you to vacate the Room Of Spirit and Time now. I'll wake the boys and get them in the Room."_

"Right!"

Chiyo headed for the door without bothering to tidy up. The boys were messy enough that they wouldn't notice or care, she figured, and who had time for cleaning when there was a monster on the loose?

Outside the halls were deserted. Chiyo felt uneasy as she ran, her footsteps echoing on the pristine tiles. She knew the way like the back of her hand, even though the halls often twisted and turned; they gave one the impression of the palace being like a maze on the inside.

Within a few moments, she had reached the end of the corridor. She could faintly sense her family and friends nearby, but the courtyard was empty - except for Boo.

He _was_ different.

Chiyo stopped abruptly at the entrance to the courtyard and studied the new Boo. He was different physically, for one - gone was the comically fat stomach that had made most of the Z fighters, including Chiyo, underestimate him. He was lean and tall now, without the makeshift cape and goofy grin. His eyes, almost demonic looking, stared fixatedly at a single hour glass placed before him.

And the chi...the chi that radiated from the monster made Chiyo's insides feel watery.

The boys were already awake when Chiyo reached the room above the courtyard, both of them rubbing their eyes and grumbling under their breath.

"Quiet!" Piccolo said, without turning to acknowledge Chiyo's arrival. "There's no time for that. You two must go to the Room of Spirit and Time while he waits."

"What's the - " Goten began to ask, but the Namekian cut him off.

"For every minute you will experience six hours, so an hour will give you two weeks. Chiyo just spent half a day in the Room and six months have passed."

Goten and Trunks simply stared. They had spent the last few hours sleeping and training - to them, Chiyo's absence went unnoticed.

"Chiyo?" Goten said tentatively. "Did you really go away for six months? I saw you a coupla hours ago..."

"No, dummy, she went into this dim sum room thing," Trunks admonished. "Her hair's longer, see."

"Who cares about my hair?" Chiyo said, jogging impatiently on the spot. Boo's presence affected her like a physical itch. "Why are we wasting time? We need to get going!"

"You're right." Piccolo gestured to the boys. "Every minute out here is six hours in the Room. Maybe that's enough."

He turned and began to leave the room, followed by Trunks. Chiyo was about to follow when she heard Goten call, "Mom, where are you going?"

_"What?"_

Chiyo turned back, pushing her younger brother out of the way as she leaned over the balcony. Her mother was heading out into the courtyard, back straight and posture stiff. Chiyo recognised that stance: her mother was about to go postal on someone. But the only person around was Boo.

"Whatever you're doing Chi-Chi, stop it!" Piccolo roared. "Right now!"

But Chi-Chi either didn't hear or simply ignored the Namekian. She continued walking, straight to the monster squatting on his heels near the hour glass. She planted her feet and -

SLAP!

Slapped Boo right across the face. Chiyo gasped.

"You monster!" Chi-Chi screamed. "You killed my son!"

There was a pause, followed by one of the loudest silences Chiyo had ever heard.

"Do you like eggs?" Boo said, glancing at the human woman.

"Huh?"

Then the tentacle on Boo's head whipped forward, and a purple light exploded from it, enveloping Chi-Chi in a brilliant aura. When it disappeared, a single white egg rolled on the ground. Within seconds, Boo's foot came down and crushed it.

Chiyo stared. Stared and stared at the crushed egg shells and the spreading yolk, glaringly yellow against blinding white tiles. She heard Goten's cry of dismay and grief, saw him begin to climb up over the balcony.

"Enough!" Piccolo roared. "Will you waste all our efforts?"

"B-but...s-she was m-my mom..."

Chiyo felt a stone settle in her stomach. She continued to stare at the egg.

"Goten," Trunks said quietly.

"Your mother can return to life with the Dragon Balls," Piccolo growled, "But only if you and Trunks beat Boo. It won't happen this way."

Goten said nothing.

"Train now or wish her goodbye. Am I clear?"

There was another pause, and Goten stepped off the balcony. He nodded mutely, his back still to the rest of the group.

"Let's do it, Goten!" Trunks said. "Together we'll finish that genie!"

"Then there's no time to lose," Piccolo rumbled. "Come." He turned and left the room, stopping only to speak in an undertone to Dende and Krillin. Chiyo thought she heard her own name mentioned, but she didn't care. The crushed egg still filled her vision and continued to do so until Krillin tugged on her arm and pulled her away from the balcony.

"Come on, kiddo," he said. "I think you should be with your grandpa at the moment."

Chiyo let herself be led out of the room, still deep in thought. Her mother was dead. Where the deaths of her father and brother had driven her to despair or wild anger, the death of the indomitable force that was Son Chi-Chi left her in stunned silence. She knew she had to restrain herself, for the good of whatever humans there were left. She knew, somehow, that human beings were now an endangered species.

But, god, was it the hardest thing she ever had to do.

"NO MORE WAITING!" Boo roared.

The sudden rush of wind that followed the monster's cry almost knocked Chiyo off her feet. She dodged around Gyumao and ran out into the courtyard, fighting the outward explosion of chi.

It had been thirty minutes since Goten and Trunks went into the Room Of Spirit and Time to train. In the room, a few weeks would have passed; however, they needed all the time they could get.

"It's only been half an hour!" Piccolo roared into the wind.

Boo said nothing. His eyes narrowed, and the wind picked up. Chiyo saw Videl fall to her knees, and went to help her, but a sudden rush of wind almost knocked her over as well.

"Wait!" Piccolo shouted. "You won't have a challenge if you fight him now - the hour isn't over!"

Boo lifted his finger and pointed directly at Piccolo.

"NO!" Chiyo screamed.

BOOM!

The entire lookout shook as Boo's chi blast exploded. Chiyo ran forward, her eyes stinging at the billowing smoke, her chest constricting with rage and fear. If he hurt Piccolo - he was the last of the strongest fighters on Earth. Without him, she wouldn't know what to do. There would be only her left to fight Boo…

But Piccolo was not dead, or even injured. As the smoke cleared, Chiyo could see a melted hole in the courtyard tiles, directly at of the Namekian's feet.

Boo shook his head from side to side.

"No," he said in a menacing tone. "I fight now." He lifted his head and screamed, "COME OUT! I KILL YOU!"

The ground beneath the monster began to break up as he roared. The chi that exploded from his body was enough to make Chiyo sweat, but in that moment of fear she knew - the time had come for her to face Boo again.

She began to charge a _Masenko_ blast, even as the ground crumbled around her. There was no need to tell anyone what she was going to do; she didn't want Boo to realise she was trying to stall him, and Piccolo was busy - he had taken Videl out of Boo's direct line of attack and was in the air, watching the destruction with a grim look on his face.

Chiyo's blast hit Boo with a small explosion and added more smoke to the already hazy air. However, as soon as the blast hit, the chi-fueled wind stopped. Gradually the smoke cleared, and a heavy silence hung over the courtyard.

Chiyo stood silently not five feet from the monster, staring into his crazed eyes. Her heart thudded almost painfully, and she hoped he couldn't hear it, or sense her fear. Though even while she was afraid, she also felt a strange sense of anticipation at taking the monster on again. She remembered asking her father about this, years ago, before the Cell Game. She had told him what had happened between her, Tenshinhan, Piccolo and the Androids, and her desire to fight them.

_"Hmm. I don't know," Goku had said, scratching his head in confusion. "I get it too. Must be a Saiyan thing, eh? I wonder if Vegeta gets it." He drew her closer, ruffling her hair. "Don't forget even if you did lose, you still fought. That's what makes the best kind of warrior." He had smiled at her; a different smile to his usual goofy grin. This was gentler, and somehow made him look older. "My little warrior."_

Thinking of her father made Chiyo's chest ache, even while her heart thundered. She shut her mind off and waited until the silence grew suffocating. Piccolo landed behind her; she could feel his eyes on her back, but she said nothing.

"You," Boo said.

Then he was laughing, a twisted sound almost as bad as his shouting.

_So you do recognise me_, Chiyo thought dryly. She dared not glance behind her to see if Piccolo understood what she was doing.

_Go on_, she said in her mind. _Every minute the boys spend in the Room is more time for them to train._

Finally she heard the Namekian step backward, and Chiyo did the only thing she could - she attacked.


	69. Fighting In Futility

**Chapter 68 - Fighting in Futility**

Chiyo attacked, transforming into Super Saiyan 2 as she struck at Boo. Her fist met his face with a burst of golden light and a sound like a thunderclap. She saw a flash of anger in the monster's expression. _Good_, she thought, _I've hurt him_.

There was a sudden flurry of movement, and Boo's fist shot out, connecting with Chiyo's half-raised arm in a blow that reverberated through her entire body. Then they were off, exchanging blows so fast that all their audience could see were flying fists and feet.

Chiyo was having little trouble keeping up with Boo, and silently she congratulated herself on her hard work in the Room of Spirit and Time. As she dodged and parried the monster's attacks, she observed his fighting style and compared it to what she knew of the "old" Boo. She had never seen him in a real fight (given that she was absent or unconscious at the time) but the differences were obvious. The new Boo was more focused, less inclined to toy with his opponents, but crueller in a way. Chiyo had noticed the subtle absence of chi that usually hovered on the edge of her senses, and guessed that he had killed every human on Earth, except for those at Kami-sama's lookout.

The fighters broke apart and began to circle each other, while Chiyo's family and friends watched in silence.

_I wish I had a bigger area to fight in_, she thought, letting her gaze flick side to side; trying to calculate how wide the courtyard was.

She didn't bother speaking to Boo. Her Super Saiyan 2 transformation left her highly focused but without the arrogance Gohan had felt when he had first transformed. Six months of training had taught her to let go of all emotions.

Suddenly Boo lunged forward, intending to catch the teenager off guard.

Chiyo fell backwards, passing underneath his body and kicking straight upwards.

Seconds later she was on the floor five metres away with blood spurting from her nose.

Bewildered, Chiyo leapt to her feet, trying to stem the flow of blood from her nose.

_What happened?_ she wondered, studying Boo. He stood perfectly still, head tilted at an angle, grinning maliciously.

Chiyo wiped her nose on her sleeve, wincing at the unpleasant sensation of crunching cartilage.

"He's faster than I thought," she muttered.

"No more playing."

Boo's voice was deep, almost a drawl, and menacing. "I want real fight."

Chiyo replied calmly. "Then fight for real."

BOOM!

A yellow ball of chi shot from Boo's outstretched hand. Chiyo dodged instinctively, her foot lashing out to kick the blast away from the nearby palace. The blast hit the ground, melting the tiles.

BOOM! BOOM!

Boo fired blast after blast, forcing Chiyo to twist and weave and, if she was able, to direct the blasts away from the palace and the watching audience.

"Stop it!" she yelled, covering her head with her hands in an attempt to protect her face from bits of broken tile. She rushed him, dodging a stray blast, and tackled him. To her surprise Boo went flying off the lookout platform, righting himself metres from the edge.

Chiyo attacked Boo head on, before he had the time to form more chi balls. They matched blow for blow, and as the battle continued in an almost mechanical fashion, Chiyo found herself becoming increasingly frustrated. There was no opening in Boo's guard that she could see, and now she wondered how her father had fought him one on one. But then again, he possessed overwhelming chi. Maybe that was the key.

Chiyo's lapse in concentration cost her; Boo broke through her guard and delivered a blow that caught her in the chest. She went flying into a courtyard tree and fell to her knees amidst a shower of leaves and gasps from her audience.

Chiyo knelt under the trees, clutching her chest while gasping for breath. Terror clawed at her throat as she struggled for air.

BOOM!

The tree toppled as Boo caught it with a kick that was meant for Chiyo; the Saiyan girl was crouching several metres away, sucking in painful breaths and silently thanking her father for inheriting his speed.

Boo stood up with his gaze in her direction. His mouth opened, revealing pointed teeth.

Chiyo attacked again. Ignoring the pain in her ribs, she barrelled toward the creature.

_If I can hold on just a bit longer, Goten and Trunks will have more time_, she thought. _Just a little longer..._

Piccolo watched intently as Chiyo battled it out with Boo.

_Chiyo_, he thought, focusing on the girl's face. She was beginning to sweat; he knew she couldn't hold out much longer. Still, every minute she delayed Boo was hours, even days, in the Room of Spirit and Time - which meant more training time for the boys.

Chiyo had come a long way. In her, Piccolo saw the same qualities that reminded him of Gohan; the stubbornness, courage and natural talent for fighting. Gohan might be gone, but his spirit clearly lived on in his sister.

BOOM!

A shockwave rocked the lookout, and several of the others screamed.

Chiyo was in the air, held up by a long tentacle - Boo's tentacle. A spreading bruise showed clearly on her throat and chest. She gasped for breath, hands scrabbling in vain at the pink flesh.

Boo swung his tentacle, prompting a cry of pain from the Saiyan girl, and brought it down.

SLAM!

Chiyo hit the ground with a thud, a crack and another cry of pain.

Piccolo's eyes narrowed, but he didn't flinch. He was used to violence; he'd been fighting his whole life.

Boo pulled back and the young fighter again went flying - this time landing on her back, gasping in pain.

"Why aren't you doing something?"

Piccolo glanced over his shoulder. It was Bulma, naturally; the woman most outspoken in the group (with the possible exception of Son Goku's wife, Piccolo thought).

"She's getting killed!" Bulma cried, cringing as the sounds of a body hitting the ground reached their ears. "Do you think anyone wants to watch this? How can you just stand there?"

Piccolo looked at her for a long moment, then turned back to the fight.

Chiyo lay prone, her only movement the shudders than ran through her body as pain caught up to her. Then Boo withdrew his grip on her throat, and approached.

"Weak."

Boo's foot descended upon her head.

Piccolo moved forward as Chiyo's screams rang through the courtyard. Several of the others gasped or screamed themselves.

"Enough!" he roared.

The entire lookout fell silent.

"Follow me."

Boo's expression turned into a hideous smile.

_One life for another_, Piccolo thought, and began to walk.

Chiyo drifted in and out of consciousness for what seemed like forever. Thoughts and images rushed by in a dizzying array or drifted lazily across the inside of her eyelids. In her mind she saw the people Boo had killed; thousands of nameless faces, men, women and children alike. The Earth ached in the aftermath of its ruin and she could almost hear it, groaning in pain as she was; and writhing in its agony - as she was.

She was aware of her surroundings, but it felt like she was someone else at the same time. She could feel the cool tiles on her battered cheek, and a colder breeze ruffling her blood-matted hair. She could both hear and see the group around her.

"Oh my God..."

"Look what he's done to her!"

"My Chiyo - "

"Is she alive?"

"Yeah, she's breathing."

"Where's Dende? Kuririn - go find him, hurry up!"

"No, don't. I'll just take her to him."

Chiyo was turned over and gently lifted. The person carrying her began to stride into the palace, and for a moment the half conscious girl was reminded of her childhood and being tucked up safe in her father's arms.

"Papa," she murmured.

"Don't worry, kiddo," said Yamcha, under the impression she was talking to him. "It's Yamcha. It's gonna be okay. I'm taking you to Dende...he'll heal you."

"Thank you, Papa..."

_Kid must have taken a knock to the head_, the former warrior thought, glancing at Chiyo's ashen face. He recognised a concussion from years on the battlefield, and knew she couldn't fall asleep, so he shook her gently. "Hey, stay awake."

Chiyo felt like she was floating. Dreamily she let her old friend carry her through the palace until they reached a different room. She heard low voices and recognised Dende and Mr. Popo.

The world rushed by her eyes and suddenly Chiyo felt the cool tiles pressing against her arms - or was it the other way around?

She was so tired. Her head lolled to one side, her eyes closing.

"Don't let her sleep," echoed a man's voice, somewhere above her.

But what was happening? Energy was slowly filling her, and where its comforting heat washed over, the pain and the injuries disappeared. Chiyo opened her eyes and sat up, noting how she could see without her eyes blurring. Dende knelt beside her with his hands outstretched.

"You saved me again," she said wonderingly.

"I was happy to do it."

Chiyo stood up shakily. Awareness replaced the half-conscious wanderings of her mind, and she frowned. "Did I...? What happened..?"

Dende moved over to the balcony and peered out.

"You were beaten by Boo," he said.

"I know that," Chiyo replied impatiently, unable to help a prickle of shame at his words. "But how come I'm still alive?"

"Piccolo stopped the battle and agreed to show Boo to the Room of Spirit and Time," Mr. Popo said, when Dende didn't answer.

"So they're in there now?"

"Yes."

She clenched her fists. "How long have they been in there?"

"Only a few seconds," Dende said from the balcony.

Chiyo bit her lip anxiously. Even a few seconds out here was ten, twenty minutes in the Room. She wondered how they were doing.

Suddenly Dende leaned forward, his long fingers clenching on the balcony.

"No!" he said softly.

"What?" Chiyo demanded, glancing up. "What is it?"

But the Namek shook his head. Chiyo bounded forward and peered over his shoulder.

Boo.

Some how the appearance of the monster again didn't surprise her. If he had managed to worm his way out of tight spots before, then it made sense he'd find some way of getting out of the trap they set for him. That meant, however, that Piccolo, Goten and Trunks were dead.

Chiyo's stomach muscles clenched with the effort of holding back a rush of tangled emotions. She knew this was a possibility from the start; knew that Piccolo was no longer linked to the Dragon Balls and so able to put himself in harm's way.

But still, the Namekian had taught her the harsher side of what it meant to be a martial artist. He had often been irritable and impatient with her; sometimes he had roared at her or even struck her. He had been born a demon, not knowing how to be kind like her father was. Chiyo resented his methods as a child but as the years passed had grown to accept him as he was.

And the boys. Chiyo had no words. She had watched them grow from fat babies. They were barely out of the toddler stage. They were only seven and eight years old!

Boo was advancing on the others gathered below, with Kuririn at the front.

"No," Chiyo murmured.

Kuririn charged, and at the same time the others turned and ran into the palace.

The human warrior was pretty fast in his own right - Chiyo had received enough blows from him to learn that - but Boo simply slithered away. A purple beam shot from the tentacle on his head.

Chiyo closed her eyes and turned away. She didn't even have to hear the scream to know what had happened.

Before she knew it, she had one foot on the balcony and was climbing over the edge. Kuririn had been more than a friend to her since she was a baby; he had been part of the family, like an uncle.

Suddenly, she stopped. There was a roaring in her ears and she felt dizzy. She tried to lean forward, to pull her body over the balcony, but found she couldn't move.

"Dende," she said. It wasn't a question.

"I'm sorry, Chiyo," the Namekian replied softly. "But I can't allow you to go out there again."

"Because I'd get hurt." Chiyo found she could at least move her head, and she glared over her should at him. "I'm a martial artist. It's my job to get injured."

"No," Dende said, "Because you are now the last fighter left on Earth, and the last hope."

Chiyo turned back to the scene below, cringing as more screams erupted in the palace.

_I'm the last warrior left_, she thought, _and I can't even hold my own against Boo. What hope do we have?_

There were purple crescents where her nails had cut into her palms. Chiyo stared at the bright blood that smeared her fingers and then looked below. She watched unmoving as Boo slowly looked up.

Then her vision was filled with light.

"This is awful," the Lord of Lords murmured.

While people ran and died at a place meant to be a safe haven, the Lord of Lords and Goku watched from the gods' sacred planet. Their only link to Earth was a crystal ball, in which images flashed by in a milky haze.

Goku leant closer, his strong hands balled into fists.

"To think we have to watch and do nothing!" he said. His dark eyes narrowed as Boo's laughing face came into view, cheeks bulging with chocolate.

"Dad, what's going on?" Gohan called from where he and the elder Lord were sitting.

"Forget it!" Goku said hastily. "Forget everything. Focus – so you'll be ready to fight soon!"

"What about Goten and Trunks?" the Lord of Lords said in a low voice.

Goku shook his head. "I can't feel their chi. I have no idea where they are."

"Do you think they're...?"

The Saiyan shrugged. "I don't know. If they're dead, it means there's no-one left to protect the planet. I won't give up on them." He sighed. "But there's still hope, as long as Earth and the Dragon Balls exist."


	70. The Last Hope

**Chapter 70 - The Last Hope**

_Moments later..._

Kami-sama's lookout was a mess.

The palace had half collapsed, broken columns strewn everywhere. The courtyard tiles were cracked and broken, some melted where chi blasts had hit. The once-tall palm trees had fallen, their leaves blackened and crinkled.

Yet it was utterly silent.

A thin breeze blew through the courtyard, stirring up dust and ruffling Boo's clothes. He stood in the centre of the destruction and watched without interest as a hole appeared out of nowhere before him, widening quickly to show a white dimension beyond.

Gotenks and Piccolo leapt from the portal, and it closed behind them, leaving nothing behind. They stood for a few moments and took in the chaos around them.

"The palace…" Piccolo said. He seemed unable to say anything more.

Gotenks, however, was more interested in the creature waiting for them.

"What did you do with everyone?" he demanded. His voice echoed in the thin air.

Boo patted his stomach, his face lit up with a vicious smile.

"They're right here," he rumbled.

"What?" Gotenks was taken aback. "You…you ATE them?

"They were chocolate."

Fire flashed in Gotenks' eyes, and an aura exploded around his body.

"Then you – are officially – DEAD!"

Gotenks was not doing so well.

It was an hour or so after the lookout had been utterly destroyed by Boo, and the fused boys' attempt to defeat the monster was failing. Even though as Super Saiyan 3 they had been powerful enough, the transformation had only lasted five minutes before fizzling out - and shortly after the boys had split. They were now Goten and Trunks, standing frozen in fear before Boo.

As Boo stepped forward (and the boys took a step back), Piccolo landed between them. Although he was grimacing in apprehension, he stood tall.

"I doubt that I can give much aid," he rumbled, as the boys cowered behind him. "But at least we can die together."

"Uhh..." Trunks raised his hand. "I have an idea."

"Yeah?"

"We'll apologize. We'll tell Boo sorry, no hard feelings, right? Maybe then he'll be nicer."

"Yeah!" Goten said enthusiastically. "It's better than Piccolo's idea?"

"What are you talking about?" Piccolo snapped. "What kind of an idea is that?"

While the three argued, Boo stretched and yawned. He sat down and his head drooped.

Suddenly, a chi flared at the edge of Piccolo's senses, and he looked up with a sudden grimace.

"Who is that?" he growled. "Someone's coming!"

The boys glanced up as they too sensed the chi.

"Who is it?" Trunks said, scowling into the bright sky. The chi was enormous, strange but with a sense of familiarity that made him think he should know exactly who it was.

"Such a powerful chi!" Piccolo said grimly, as the chi drew closer. "Can this be some new enemy...?"

A dark figure appeared on the horizon, his face shadowed with the sun shining from above. He was broad, tall, and the three were struck by how familiar he looked.

Then Goten shouted joyously, "It's my big brother!"

Piccolo squinted in an attempt to see the figure. As he drew closer, he began to make out distinct features. The face was very like that of Goku's, but Goten was right...it was Gohan.

_But how?_ he thought. Gohan was dead, killed by Majin Boo not two days ago. Chiyo said she'd witnessed it herself.

Gohan landed in front of his friends, his back facing them. Piccolo observed the fighter from behind. He was a little taller and broader, but the changes he sensed in his former pupil were more than physical. His chi was larger, but also stranger. Clearly, he had gone through some transformation since he was last on Earth. But where had he been in the meantime?

"I'm in time," Gohan said, turning his head slightly to acknowledge the others.

"We thought you were dead!" Goten said, almost hopping on the spot from sheer joy.

Gohan smiled.

"The Lord of Lords saved me," he said. "I was with him til now. Where's everyone else?"

_He is different_, Piccolo observed. _His attitude has changed. He's become more of a fighter._

"Boo killed them all!" Trunks said.

"Mom too? And Dende?"

"Yeah!" Goten replied, scowling. "And Chiyo!"

Gohan glared at the creature standing before them. A smile spread over Boo's face and he patted his stomach.

"They tasted good. I turned 'em into chocolate and ate 'em!"

Gohan turned his thoughts inward.

_If that's true, then that means we're not only the last people left on Earth, but the last ones left to defend it_, he said to himself, glaring at Boo. _Even Chiyo...I'm sorry, sis_.

But as his thoughts turned to his sister, there was an answering flicker of chi from far off. Yes, it was faint, but it still felt familiar. Could it be...?

Chiyo couldn't believe she was alive.

The lookout had been ravaged by her fight with Boo (which she harboured some guilt over) and by his love of destruction. Everyone she knew was dead. Now she had the time to feel shell shocked by the past two days, she could see the extent of the chaos Boo had wreaked on the Earth. Entire cities were destroyed and littered with corpses. Chiyo caught a glimpse of a child's crumpled form and the wind blew tears off her cheeks, single droplets glistening in the sun as they fell.

_I almost wish Mr. Popo didn't save me too_, she thought, glancing back at the Earth's god. _What good is living when you have to spend your life alone?_

Chiyo knew why Mr. Popo and Dende had stopped her from saving the others. With Gohan, Vegeta and Goku dead; and Piccolo, Goten and Trunks trapped in the Room, she was the only one remotely capable of defeating Boo...one day. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

Bitterly, Chiyo reflected on the bleak picture of the future painted by Mirai Trunks, seven years ago.

_Our futures aren't so different_, she thought. _There's still a monster around creating chaos, and the Z fighters are scattered. I'm the only fighter left – maybe even the last human alive._

But before the enormity of that thought hit her, Dende seized her arm.

"Let's land somewhere," he shouted in her ear. "Boo can sense our chi if we fly."

They dropped from the sky and landed on the rocky ground. Barren land stretched as far as the eye could see, and the sun burned Chiyo's bare arms. She knew she would be red as a lobster if they stayed out long enough in the heat. But what else was there to do? Heat or not, she had to protect Dende. It was Mr. Popo's last request, before Boo's purple light had consumed him too.

"Do you know where we are?" Chiyo asked, shielding her eyes. "Looks like there's nothing around for miles."

"Somewhere in the north-western part of the continent," Dende replied.

"Right." Chiyo leaned against a tall rock with a sigh. "So what do we do now?"

"I don't know."

She glanced at the Namekian. Dende stared at the ground, and for the first time he wore a look of helpless resignation on his face. Chiyo was reminded of the nervous boy who was brought to Kami-sama's palace seven years ago. Namekians seemed to age faster than humans, but he was still young; probably not much older than her.

She too stared at the ground, as if it would somehow give her an idea on what to do. As far as she knew, they were the only ones left still standing.

"We have to do something!" she exploded, jumping to her feet. "Come on! Let's make a search - there has to be someone, something around that can help us out! There can't be absolutely nobody left!"

"You're right," Dende replied. "Don't you feel that chi?"

"What?"

Chiyo closed her eyes and cast out her senses, as far as she could stretch, until her brain felt like it was tingling. There was Boo's chi blazing from hundreds of miles away. It had an odd, menacing feel to it.

Then - something else flickered, and Chiyo attuned her senses to it. To her delight she felt not just one, but several chi.

"But who?" she breathed. Dende didn't answer.

The chi was moving rapidly, approaching closer and closer to their hiding place. Chiyo squinted at the sky, searching for any visible signs. She suddenly recognized three of the chi - and could hardly contain her joy - but the other was totally unfamiliar; even Boo's chi was one she recognized now, due to the utter lack of other people on the planet.

Suddenly Dende leapt from the rocks.

"HEY!" he shouted, hopping up and down on the spot and waving his arms. "HEY!"

"Are you nuts?" Chiyo spluttered. "Don't draw attention to yourself! We're supposed to be hiding here!"

Dende paid no attention. Exasperated, Chiyo stood beside him and looked up.

There as Piccolo, Goten and Trunks, and another figure, just a silhouette against the sun. Was it her father? The clothes looked similar enough, but there was no halo encircling his head.

But that mystery could wait. Chiyo found herself swarmed by two boys, both trying to strangle her with affection; both talking a mile a minute.

"We thought Boo ate you - "

"He ran away, we fought him before - "

"Yeah! Look at these muscles!"

" - Gohan came and beat up Boo 'til he blew himself up."

"What?" Chiyo interrupted. "What about Gohan?"

"He's over there," Goten chirped, pointing to the figure near Piccolo. "He's so strong now! He beat Boo up real good, you shoulda seen it!"

Chiyo gently pushed Goten aside and approached the figure, who turned his head as she came closer. It _was_ Gohan; taller, broader, and the same clothes as their father. His face was still the same, though, and his grin familiar. That famous smile widened as his sister locked gazes with him.

Chiyo's pace quickened to a trot, then a run. She threw herself at her brother, sobbing with a sudden outpouring of survivor's guilt and relief.

Normally Gohan would have made a joke about over-emotional girls, but this time he gave Chiyo a brief hug before prising her hands off his collarbones, although his eyes were wet.

"We thought you were dead," Chiyo said finally, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "How did you survive? Tell me everything!"

So Gohan gave a quick overview of what had happened in the past day or two.

"So you broke the Zeta Sword, and some guy came out of it?" Chiyo shook her head. "Weird."

"Not just some guy, but a Lord of Lords from fifteen generations back," Gohan explained. "He gave me some sort of power-up so I could fight Boo."

Chiyo lost her smile.

"Well, I'm glad one of us can," she muttered. "I tried twice and I still couldn't. Not only that, but I failed to protect the Lord of Lords anyway."

"No you didn't," her brother replied. "He escaped, and he found me. If it weren't for him - and for you - I'd be dead."

"Your efforts weren't in vain," Piccolo said in his low rumble. "I was there."

"But enough of that," Gohan said suddenly, noticing his sister's dark expression. "How did you and Dende survive?"

"Mr Popo said I mustn't die," Dende replied, when Chiyo didn't answer. "He threw me over, down onto Earth."

"And Chiyo?"

"He made me go after Dende," Chiyo said, avoiding Piccolo's gaze. "He said I needed to protect him. And if everyone else was dead, I would be the only one who could fight Boo."

"Smart thinking on Popo's part," Piccolo rumbled. "The Dragon Balls would be mere rocks without you – and the Earth would remain a ghost planet."

Chiyo shrugged. That she had survived seemed a hollow victory when the last inhabitants of Earth stood before her.

"Videl…my Videl…my little girl…She can't be dead!"

Chiyo cringed as Mr. Satan's weeping reached her ears. She had liked Videl, even thought of her as a friend. Satan's grief only made it harder to accept that everyone she knew was gone.

"You!" Satan suddenly snapped, grabbing Gohan by the collar. "What kind of boyfriend are you? Why didn't you protect Videl, huh?"

"I…I wasn't there," Gohan replied falteringly.

"It's okay!" Goten piped up. "She can come back to life!"

"What?"

Satan whirled around, and seizing Goten by the shoulders began to shake him.

"What are you talking about, you little imp?"

"I-I-I-I'm n-n-n-n-n-o-o-t- j-j-o-k-i-i-n-g," Goten replied, his voice wavering from the movement and holding back laughter.

Suddenly, Gohan stood up with a scowl on his face - and seconds later Chiyo sensed a powerful and familiar chi.

"Boo!" she said, clenching her fists.

"What?" Satan let go of Goten. "Boo's here?"

There was a small figure approaching from above; Chiyo could see the creature she had seen too much of in the past few days coming back. Obviously, Gohan hadn't beaten him.

"Why?" Piccolo muttered. "It's been just an hour…what could have changed?"

"I'll see what he's up to," Gohan said. "Stay here."

He floated into the air and approached Boo, who had landed on the top of a small hill not far away. Satan scrambled after him with the puppy Bee in one hand, his other balled into a fist.

" Boo!" he roared. "How dare you kill Videl? What's wrong with you?"

Chiyo followed him, anxious that Boo would try something. But the monster simply kept staring at Gohan, and his gaze shifted to Goten and Trunks, who were following Chiyo.

"Don't you know who I am, Boo?" Satan said, in a slightly quieter voice.

"Wake up," Piccolo snapped. "The Boo you made friends with is gone."

"Hey, it's Bee!" Satan said, as if Piccolo hadn't spoken. He held the puppy in the air. "You remember Bee, don'tcha? This is the puppy you saved."

"You gave it a try," Piccolo rumbled. "Back off, let Gohan handle it."

Satan stepped back, and stroked the softly whining puppy.

"We'd better be quiet, Bee," he said.

"I bet he's bluffing!" Trunks said, looking straight at Boo. "He'll run away again!"

The creature turned his gaze from Gohan and settled on the two boys.

"Get over here, runts!" he said, his voice full of malice. "You're the ones I wanna fight!"

"Forget it," Gohan replied steadily, glaring at Boo. "You're facing me."

"Uh-uh. First I settle up with them. Then I fight you."

"What's the point in that?" Gohan jabbed a thumb towards himself. "You want to fight, I'm your man. You'll have to go through me first!"

"What's wrong, midgets?" said Boo, ignoring him. "You scared? I knew it all along!"

Trunks and Goten glanced at Boo, then at each other. They looked uncertain.

"C'mon," Boo said, and he smiled.

_Boo's up to something_, Chiyo thought, scrutinizing the monster's face with a frown. _But what?_


	71. Fusion of a Different Kind

**Chapter 71 - Fusion of a Different Kind**

Boo and Gohan stood facing each other on the uneven ground. However, Boo's gaze was fixed on Goten and Trunks.

"You don't get it, do you?" Trunks said, after a hurried and hushed conversation with Goten. "We'd've slaughtered you if we hadn't turned back!"

"Oh yeah?" Boo's smile widened. "So how come you look so nervous?"

"Nervous?" the boys repeated, scowling.

Goten laughed. "This guy's a nut case! C'mon Trunks, let's straighten him out!"

"Yeah! That's the last smack he'll talk!"

_Boys_, Chiyo thought. _So quick to prove themselves…_

Piccolo took a step forward and held out a long arm.

"Wait," he rumbled. "Something's odd...why would he want to - "

"Yeah, right." Trunks snorted. "Quit being paranoid, Piccolo! What could he be planning? This guy's dumb as a sponge!"

Before the Namekian could stop them, the boys landed beside Gohan, who was watching Boo intently.

"There's been enough time," Trunks declared. "We can fuse!"

"Yeah! Let's go to Super Gotenks right outta the gate!"

Chiyo shifted restlessly from her hiding place.

_I should be doing something_, she thought, staring at Boo. _I can't help feeling like something is going to happen._

Her thoughts were interrupted by the puppy Bee's frantic barking. At the same time, Goten and Trunks fused in a burst of light.

"Now that's weird," Satan muttered. "Now there's one kid instead of two and it's just weird..."

Chiyo stared at Boo, as if by gazing hard enough she would figure out what he would do. His expression - if you could call it that - seemed strained. Fear? Fatigue? Who knew. It was just one more mystery.

Bee's barks became higher pitched. He was pulling on Mr Satan's pants leg furiously.

"Look, stop it!" Satan said, pulling the puppy into his arms. "There's this fight, and I'm tryin' to figure out this other thing at the same time. I'm hungry too!"

Chiyo bounded over to them and scratched under Bee's chin.

"What's up, pup?" she said. "What's got you freaked out?"

The puppy whined.

"Let me handle this," Gotenks said loudly. "Just take a seat and watch, Gohan!"

Chiyo rolled her eyes inwardly. That was Trunks speaking.

Suddenly, Bee let out a yelp and began to wriggle. He squirmed out of Mr Satan's arms and took off.

"Wait Bee, you're runnin' the wrong way!" the fighter roared, scrambling over the rocks.

"Don't!" Chiyo said, pulling him back. "I'll get him."

She jumped over the rocks and followed Bee, who was running towards the stand-off ahead, barking for all he was worth.

"Enjoy it while you can, dope!" Gotenks said, his voice carrying on the wind. "This time you're finished!"

Then Satan shouted, "Watch out!"

Chiyo turned, and to her horror was met with a wall of pink flesh.

"NO!" she heard someone shout.

But the pink ...goop, as she thought of it - passed over her. A moment of relief was eclipsed by the sudden horror of realising that it was heading for Gotenks.

"Hey, get this off me!" Gotenks yelped, as the pink flesh seized a hold of his arms. "Stop it - arrgh - "

Chiyo heard a roar of anger and realised Piccolo was fighting off the goop, which she knew was an extension of Boo himself.

_This is what he was up to!_ she thought, standing speechless. _I was too late...I didn't realise..._

The pink goo had now completely enveloped both Piccolo and Gotenks. Boo held his arms out, laughing, and his flesh returned to him, wrapping itself around his body. His flesh began to melt and bubble, and his chi soared.

Chiyo fought down the urge to vomit.

"What's he doing to them?" Gohan said, taking a step back in horror.

"No..." Dende murmured.

Mr Satan had retrieved Bee and now scrambled back to Chiyo and Dende.

"Does that mean he's gonna absorb us all?" he said, wide-eyed.

"He might," Dende replied grimly. "He absorbed the best fighters."

"NO!" Chiyo shouted, and launched herself towards the shifting, bubbling mass that was Boo. She had almost reached him when she was intercepted by a pair of solid arms.

"Don't!" Gohan said, grunting with the effort of holding his wildly struggling sister. "Stop it! It's too dangerous. You can't fight him!"

"Not the boys!" Chiyo sobbed, trying to prise her brother's hands off her shoulders. "Not them!"

"Chiyo, don't - stop struggling! You can't help them, they're - "

A deep rumble of laughter sounded from behind the siblings.

"What do you think, Gohan?"

Boo's transformation had finished, and Chiyo could now see his appearance and clothes had changed to match his absorption of Piccolo and Gotenks. He was wearing Gotenks' vest, and possessed Piccolo's long nose.

"For you witness the birth of the most powerful djinn of all time - past, present, and future," the monster said. The tentacle on his head - which had grown longer, Chiyo noticed - waved restlessly.

Chiyo lunged forward.

"You evil b - "

"You monster!" Gohan shouted, wrenching his sister backwards.

Boo laughed.

"It's your fault!" he said. "I was supposed to be the strongest."

"You - "

"A good fighter has limitations, but a great fighter will figure a way around them," Boo said, grinning hideously.

"You monster!" Chiyo spat at him. "A great fighter is someone who fights for something bigger than himself. My father is a great fighter. You'll never reach the limits he has."

"And where is he?" Boo replied, grinning. "Your father is dead, and I am alive. I will be more powerful than he ever was. And don't worry, little Chiyo...your turn will come. Once I've killed Gohan, you're next."

"I'll kill _you!_"

"I began to form this plan when I first sensed your presence far from Earth and realized that you might prove stronger than I," Boo said to Gohan, ignoring Chiyo. "So, I thought, if I should absorb 'Super Gotenks', I should surely be able to retain my title regardless of who should appear. Fortunately, the brat mentioned that he had limited time. Not wanting him to shift back the moment I absorbed him, I had to wait for the next window of opportunity. I needed stall only an hour until the creature honoured me with his reappearance."

Gohan stared at the monster for a long time.

"So that's what it was all about," he said. "Well, you may have sucked up some speaking skills from Piccolo, but you're still not that smart. If you wanted to be the strongest, why didn't you absorb me?"

"Think, why don't you? What good is power with no-one to fight?" The new Boo smirked. "As the former Boo declared…I will smash you. And enjoy it."

There was another pause, then Gohan smirked.

"I've got to admit…it makes sense."

With a smooth movement, Gohan tossed Chiyo backwards, so she went sprawling.

"Don't get involved!" he said to her, then attacked.

Chiyo picked herself up and limped back to Dende and Mr Satan as Gohan and Boo began battling it out in the sky.

"He hits harder than he used to," she muttered, rubbing her head.

There was a sudden explosion, and Chiyo turned her head. Boo was rising out of a crater into the ground, tossing pink coloured chi blasts at Gohan.

"Where's the army guys?" Mr Satan said, blinking in confusion. "I don't see any tanks..."

"There is no army," Dende replied. "That was Gohan and Boo fighting."

Several tremours ran through the ground, and Chiyo steadied herself.

_This is gonna take some heavy fixing_, she thought, noticing the fight had created several craters in the ground nearby.

"D'you think he'll come after me?" Satan said, clutching Bee closer to him.

"Maybe," Dende said. "If you're a strong person."

"Don't you know who I am?"

Satan stood up straight, puffing his chest out. "I'm the champion of the Tenkaichi Budoukai tournament!"

"It's a martial arts tournament," Chiyo said, when Dende looked puzzled. "And that means nothing."

Mr Satan looked taken aback. "Whattaya mean? I'm the strongest guy on Earth - "

"The strongest guy on Earth is up there fighting the strongest monster on Earth," Chiyo snapped, pointing to the sky where Gohan and Boo had been struggling moments before. "_My_ brother. Before him, the strongest guy on Earth was Son Goku - _my_ father. You know nothing about power!"

BOOM!

Mr Satan's reply was cut off in a shock wave that sent him tumbling to the ground.

"Wh-what happened?" he cried, covering his head as Bee yelped in terror.

"Boo kicked Gohan," Chiyo observed, watching the small figures in mid air. Boo held his hand to the sky and shot several rings of chi. Gohan barely had time to dodge before the rings enclosed around him, trapping him. They began to compress, and he let out a cry of pain.

"You may recognize that as one of Gotenks' moves!" Boo shouted, laughing. "How does it feel to be hurt by your friends' techniques?"

Boo approached Gohan, who was struggling in the rings of chi. He cupped his hands in the familiar Kamehameha stance.

_Gohan, do something!_ Chiyo thought, her heart in her mouth_. Don't let him kill you!_

"HA!"

There was a burst of blue light as Boo launched the Kamehameha. Chiyo squeezed her eyes shut, praying.

_Please let it miss..._

And when the light faded, Gohan was standing on a rock below Boo. Chiyo hopped up and down on the spot without a sound; she was sure she'd be sick if she opened her mouth.

_You can do it!_ she thought.

Chiyo was losing confidence in Gohan's abilities.

Twenty minutes later and the fight seemed to be turning for the worst. Gohan was strong; stronger than he'd ever been, but he just wasn't a match for Boo and his new techniques - stolen techniques, Chiyo thought.

She couldn't even see her brother anymore, but she could hear the sounds of Boo punching him. The urge to jump in and attack the creature was overpowering, but she knew it would be no use. If something happened to Gohan (and it was looking more than likely), she would need to protect Dende. Even Mr Satan, for as puzzling and ignorant as she found him, he still didn't deserve to die.

"He's getting pummeled!" Dende said, clambering over the rocks to get a better look at the fight. "Take the dog and run!"

Satan stood up and began to rummage in his pockets.

"If worst comes to worst…" he said, and pulled out a gun. He checked it over once before cocking it. "I've got my trusty .45! Check it out!"

Dende just stared.

"I hope you're kidding," Chiyo said impatiently. "Look, watch this."

She seized the barrel of the gun (ignoring Satan's yell, "Watch it kid, it's loaded!") and applied pressure. The metal crumpled under her fingers as easy as paper. Ignoring the man's stare of astonishment, she took the gun from him and dropped it, crushing the rest of it under her shoe.

"Weapons like that only endanger people, not help them," she said sternly. "Besides, do you want to accidentally shoot Dende - or Bee? If I can do that to the gun, imagine what Boo could do."

Gohan's chi suddenly faltered, and a great crash made the ground shake.

"Gohan!" Dende shouted, and leaped from behind the rocks.

Gohan's crumpled form had landed near where the little group were hiding. Chiyo kept back with Satan and Bee as Dende rushed to her brother.

Within minutes, Gohan was standing up and his sister silently thanked Dende for his healing skills.

Boo appeared back in the sky, and his expression changed from one of arrogance to surprise as he noticed Gohan standing. His gaze shifted from Gohan back to Dende, who was dashing as fast as he could back to their hiding place. Chiyo saw his eyes narrow and guessed his intentions.

"NO!" she shouted, leaping from behind the rocks.

Boo pointed, and a ball of chi blasted from the tip of his finger. It sped towards them, and Chiyo could see it was meant for not only Dende but her and Satan, too. She transformed into Super Saiyan 2 and braced herself.

Then out of nowhere, Boo's blast was knocked sideways. There was a sudden pause of astonishment as Chiyo, Dende and Satan glanced around, seemingly surprised that they weren't dead yet.

"Who was that?" Satan said, blinking in confusion.

Chiyo glanced up. There was another figure standing on a hill nearby, his hands still folded into a triangle.

"Is - is that Tenshinhan?" she said, squinting into the sun.

"Tenshinhan!" Gohan called, and Chiyo scrambled up for a better look.

_It is Tenshinhan!_ she thought, recognizing the tall figure. Tenshinhan was a figure from her childhood, one of the people she remembered being most attached to. He had left when she was small, right after Goku had died. According to Kuririn, it was normal for him and his partner Chaozu to leave for years at a time.

Boo lifted his hands, and another ball of chi sprang into being. It began to grow as he laughed.

"I think I'll just destroy the planet!" he roared. "I'd like to see you stop me!"

_I don't care if I do get killed!_ Chiyo thought, bounding forwards. _I can't just stand there like an idiot and watch while he blows up the planet!_

She released her chi, raising it high as she could go, while the ball of chi grew brighter and brighter above her head. In her hands, a Kamehameha began to take shape.

"EVERYONE SAY SO LONG!" Boo roared.

Then he was cut in half.

It took a few seconds for Chiyo to comprehend that something momentous had happened. The chi ball that had been seconds away from destroying Earth went awry, and the bottom half of Boo was falling to Earth.

A figure had appeared behind the monster - a very familiar figure.

"Papa," Chiyo whispered. The Kamehameha died between her fingers and she stared at the sky. It was possible, though even from so far away, to see that there was no shining halo above his head. But how could that be?

Goku pointed at Boo, and said something. Chiyo was too far away to hear him, but she caught a hint of confidence on his face.

BOOM!

Chiyo started as a body went flying past her. It was Tenshinhan - he hit the ground, skidded, and came to a stop amidst the rubble of what was a small mountain. She felt chi still flickering within him and was glad; Tenshinhan was a tough fighter. She couldn't do anything for him now, though.

Boo's bottom half flew upwards and joined itself to the rest of his body. The flesh knitted together in seconds; within half a minute his body was as it had been.

"What kind of creature is this?" Chiyo muttered. "How can you kill something that can heal itself so quickly?"

"Gohan, catch!"

She glanced up in time to see her father toss something from the sky at Gohan.

"Huh?"

The something missed his outstretched hand and clattered into the nearby rocks.

Goku jerked in reflex.

"P-pick it up!" he yelled. "Quick!"

"R-right…where'd it go?"

"Put it on your right ear! You've gotta fuse with me!"

Something in your ear...an earring?

Chiyo wondered if her father had acquired some serious problems in Heaven.

"I can't find it!"

Chiyo ran over to where Gohan was searching frantically.

"Move!" she snapped, and dropped to her knees. Years of experience searching for her mother's earrings around the house (they always ended up in the strangest places) taught her to look for the glitter of metal or resin in a sea of carpet…or rocks...or soup...wherever they had turned up.

"Got it!" she said triumphantly, holding up an extraordinarily ugly earring, and tossed it to Gohan.

"Isn't this the Lord of Lords' earring?" he called, examining the earring. "What was I supposed to do with it again…?"

There was a sudden strangled cry, and Boo's chi dropped. Alarmed, Chiyo glanced upwards. To her delight, Boo's appearance had changed; he was now wearing the weighted cape Piccolo always wore.

"Feeling weaker?" Goku said. "The kids' fusion just wore off. I bet Piccolo's in there, slowing you down!"

Boo scowled.

"Too bad," Goku said, powering down to his normal form. "Gohan can handle you now."

There was a moment in which Boo paused. Then his face split into a hideous grin.

"It's fortunate I plan ahead," he said.

"Plan ahead? Meaning?" Goku said, looking puzzled.

Boo pointed to the tentacle on his head.

"This part you cut off," he said. "Why do you think I didn't restore it?"

A shadow fell over Gohan and Chiyo.

"What - "

A solid and heavily muscled arm slammed into Chiyo's chest at the same time she opened her mouth. Her question was cut off by the blow that sent her flying backwards into the nearest hill, collapsing it into a pile of rubble that trapped her for five seconds.

Five seconds was all it took for the flesh of Boo to cover her brother completely.


	72. Original Evil

**Chapter 71 - Original Evil**

Chiyo burst from her hiding place and threw herself at the writhing mass of goop without thinking. It slipped through her fingers and shot upwards.

"No!"

Boo began to laugh as his chi soared.

A pair of boots slammed into the ground near Chiyo, and a strong hand hauled her to her feet.

"There's nothing we can do for Gohan," Goku said, staring at the transforming monster. "I can't combine with Gohan..."

"Those are fusion earrings, or something?"

"Yeah, they fuse with you permanently." Goku turned and looked at his daughter. "Hmm."

"You're not fusing with me!" she replied frantically. "Besides, what did the Lord of Lords say about fusing with girls?"

"Well, nothing really," he replied, scratching his head. "I don't want to be a girl, though. So I guess I'll have to with someone else." He glanced around. "Tenshinhan is out cold...and Dende's not a fighter." His gaze settled on the rocks where Dende and Satan were hiding.

"Not...Mr Satan..?"

"What can you do?" Boo called, laughing. "You tried to combine with Gohan - but I took him for myself! Now you've got no-one left to fuse with!"

"No fair! You've absorbed so many people!"

"You know as well as I that winning is everything!" Boo replied. "Well, don't despair. I'll only make suffer for a little while…"

"Damn it!" Goku muttered. "If only Chiyo was a boy..."

"Hey!"

"My only other possibility is that idiot..."

"What?" Chiyo said. "You'd fuse with Hercule? But that wouldn't do anything! He's useless."

"I'll give you one last sporting chance," Boo said. "You have five seconds to choose your next partner."

Goku cursed, and clenched his fists. "Damn...I have no choice!"

"Three...two...one..."

"Hercule!" Goku shouted. "Catch!"

"Time's up!" Boo said.

Goku swung his fist back, then stopped and turned, his face showing astonishment.

"That - that - could it be - "

Seconds later, Chiyo felt the chi, and her mouth dropped open.

Vegeta!

Boo attacked.

Chiyo leapt backwards, out of the way of the fight, as Boo rushed towards her father. Seconds before the monster reached him, though, he disappeared. Boo's attack missed and he almost drove headfirst into the ground.

"Huh?"

_Instantaneous Movement!_ Chiyo said to herself, grinning in triumph. _He must have gone to wherever Vegeta is._

Boo straightened up, and his gaze fell on her. She scowled and tensed herself.

But the creature turned away, and flew upwards, scanning the horizon. Eventually he left, leaving three puzzled figures behind.

"What was he about to give me?" Satan asked.

Dende shook his head.

"It doesn't matter now," he said. "I've got to go after him!"

"Wait, wait!" Satan said, grabbing Dende's sleeve. "T-take me! I don't wanna be alone!"

Dende glanced at him. "But it might be dangerous..."

"All the more reason you shouldn't be going!" Chiyo said, dropping beside the Namekian. "I'll carry Hercule. Let's go!"

The closer that Chiyo, Dende and Satan got to Boo, Goku and Vegeta's chi, the more the battle affected them. Their fighting caused tremours in the Earth that reverberated through not only the ground but the air around them.

As they began to get closer, the tremours subsided. Within a few minutes, they had stopped completely. The silence was almost eerie, and Chiyo felt uneasy.

"What's going on?" she wondered. "Shouldn't we feel the fighting still?"

"You mean this is normal?"

"Something's happened," Dende replied, ignoring Mr Satan's question. "They might have been absorbed, or worse."

"Don't think like that! They have to beat Boo!"

Boo's chi was getting closer now, and the desert giving way to trees and grasslands.

"There he is!" Dende said. "Hide!"

He dived, and Chiyo followed, ignoring Satan's yelp of surprise. They landed behind a clump of bushes and stared at the figure on top of a cliff ahead.

"What's he doing?" Satan said. "Why isn't he moving?"

"He's turned back, too…"

Chiyo followed their gaze. Dende was right; Boo's form had changed from his Gotenks/Piccolo absorbed form to the body he had before the lookout had been destroyed. Did that mean he was less powerful? If so, then she might have a chance. A very small chance.

"Arrrghhhhh!"

Chiyo started as suddenly, Boo threw back his head and roared. This in itself wasn't unusual, but his screams were different, as if he were in pain. If he was in pain somehow, then there was no outside source.

And where were Goku and Vegeta? If they had fused and become stronger, shouldn't they be fighting him? Unless it was true, and Boo had absorbed them...

Boo's screams intensified and he clutched his head, almost bent over double.

"This isn't right," Satan said, staring at him in wonder.

"I don't know."

Chiyo stood up. "I'm going for a closer look."

"No, don't!"

Chiyo brushed the young Kami-sama's grip off her arm and crawled from the bushes, keeping her chi and her body low. She scrambled forward, keeping her eyes on Boo the entire time, and stopped a few metres away from the bottom of the cliff he was standing on. The monster was screaming and shaking, spittle flying from his mouth as his head whipped back and forth.

_What is wrong with him? _she wondered_. It sounds like something is hurting him from the inside. Did Papa give him internal injuries or something...?_

Steam began to shoot from Boo's head in puffs, then clouds. The steam enveloped the cliff and screened Boo from Chiyo's sight, though she could hear his roars of pain.

Then suddenly, several people popped into existence directly above Chiyo.

Startled, she ducked back into her hiding place before realising she recognized all of them. Goku, Vegeta, and somehow Gohan, Goten, Trunks and Piccolo. But how? Where had they gone and how did they suddenly just appear?

But there was no time to ponder. Boo's screams began to decrease in volume, until he was grunting. But he was changing, and as he changed his chi soared - higher than Chiyo could comprehend at first, even as she watched him begin to shrink.

She watched as Goku and Vegeta dragged the boys, Gohan and Piccolo to safety away from the battlefield. Her first instinct was to follow them, but fear held her still. She didn't know what Boo was changing into, but she could almost guarantee none of them would like it.

Minutes that seemed like hours passed, and gradually Boo's transformation stopped. He was standing in the same spot, but his new form was at least a foot smaller.

"He looks like a kid," she said to herself. "But his chi's gone through the roof."

The small Boo looked up at the sky, and at the same time the ground began to shake. Lightning rent the sky. His mouth opened, and a squeal issued from it; the sound went into her ears, right into her brain and she couldn't stand it. She dropped to the ground, covering her ears, wanting it to stop -

Then silence. Chiyo opened her eyes and found Boo floating in the sky above the area, looking downwards without an expression. He raised his hand and released a chi blast.

"What the hell!" Goku shouted.

A burst of blue light shot from nearby and hit Boo's blast full on.

BOOM!

Both chi blasts exploded in mid-air and the light died away.

Chiyo breathed in quick bursts as her mind tried to catch up with what had just happened.

"What was that for?" she said, not realising she had spoken aloud. "He could have blown up the planet!"

Boo lowered his arm and glanced downwards as Goku and Vegeta rose from their hiding place.

"Hey!" Vegeta snapped. "You can blow up this planet if you want - just do it after we've fought!"

The monster looked them up and down without recognition. Then his face split into a too-familiar smile, and he raised his arm again.

The blast that appeared over his head was twice the size of him. Chiyo knew then that there was no hope left for Earth, or its last inhabitants.


	73. End of Earth

**Chapter 72 - End of Earth**

"No, no, he can't do this. You can't do this!"

Chiyo stared in horror at the chi blast that was forming above Boo's head. It was bigger than anything she had ever seen; almost blocking out the sun but illuminating the landscape on its own.

"You're crazy!" she screamed at the sky.

Fear held her frozen to the ground. For once in her life she couldn't move, couldn't act. Her mind was numb with horror. There was nothing she could say or do to get out of this. A blast that big couldn't be deflected; it would vaporize everything in its path. The planet stood no chance. She stood no chance.

Boo lowered his arm and the blast launched itself towards the Earth.

If time had stood still in those few moments beforehand, it seemed to hasten then. In her frozen state Chiyo saw Goku and Vegeta fly past in a flash and seize Dende and Satan roughly. Their movement galvanized her and she suddenly took off.

The blast was following them - no doubt Boo's intention - as the last inhabitants of Earth fled before it. Chiyo pushed herself, straining to catch up, and transformed into Super Saiyan 2. It was barely enough. The others were far ahead of her. Chiyo knew a moment of terror as she looked back and saw only the blast. If she faltered, she would be the first to die.

"VEGETA!" she screamed into the rushing wind, to the figure in front of her. "VEGETA!"

Vegeta turned his head; his eyes widened at her sudden appearance.

"Help me!" she cried, holding out a hand. She put all of her strength into her speed and quickened, straining to reach him. Just a few feet...

For a moment Chiyo thought Vegeta hesitated, but then he seized her hand and the world vanished around her.

The world tumbled around Chiyo in bursts of light, a rush of air and the sound of muddled voices. She stumbled, and the hand holding hers tightened. The grip was almost comforting.

"Hooray! You made it!" said a quavery old voice.

Chiyo opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was sky the colour of lavender, and that confused her. Earth's sky was blue.

Then her senses returned in a rush, and she realised: there was no Earth. Not anymore. And she had no idea where they were.

But there were people she recognised. Vegeta, Dende, her father, Mr Satan, a man that strangely resembled both Kibito and the Lord of Lords, and another; an old man who resembled him.

It was Vegeta who still held onto her hand, and Chiyo blinked up at him.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

The Saiyan grunted and dropped her hand. She hadn't expected any less from him. But still, she was grateful to be alive. If it weren't for Vegeta, she would be dead.

Goku was kneeling on the ground nearby. Chiyo went to him and put her arms around his neck.

"Papa," she said. "I'm glad to see you."

"The Earth…and the others," Goku murmured. "I - I let them all down."

"No you didn't," Chiyo replied, hugging him closer. "You couldn't save everyone, Papa."

Vegeta seized Goku by the collar and pulled him up, dislodging Chiyo roughly.

"Idiot!" he said harshly. "Why did you save these two and a dog before the others?"

Goku glanced away and said nothing.

"Stop it!" Chiyo cried, trying to pull Vegeta's hand off her father's shirt. "Fighting isn't gonna do any good! Just stop it."

"Feh!" Vegeta said, dropping Goku. He walked away and sat down by himself.

Goku stood up and looked over to the old man, who was gazing into a crystal ball placed on the ground.

"It's gone," the old man said. "Blown to bits."

"Sir, what about Piccolo and Gohan? And the boys?" Goku replied.

"They're gone."

Chiyo looked down.

"I guess you're all I have left then, Papa," she said.

Goku pulled her closer to him, giving her a pat on the shoulder.

"The Earth destroyed?" Mr Satan said loudly. "Ha ha! Where are we then? Senile old coot!"

"How rude!" Dende said. "You should bow down. He is a Lord of Lords! Above Kami-sama stand the Kaio-sama, the Lords of Worlds…and above them stands the great Lord of the worlds…and above them stand the Lord of Lords, the almighty Kaio-shin! And where we stand now must be their sacred ground!

"A lord of whats? Some sort of purple leprechaun?"

"No! The Lords are the illustrious overseers of the universe," Dende explained. "These are Lords of Lords. No-one is higher than them."

"Oh yeah?" Satan said, bristling with indignation. "Nice try! If he's so great, why didn't he stop Boo?"

"Kakarrot, after all we did to save the others, you let them die to save that fool," Vegeta snapped, leaping to his feet. "The Earth and the dead will never come back. The Dragon Balls, our last hope, are now space dust."

"There he is!"

The Lord of Lords was bent over the crystal ball. He beckoned the Saiyans over and pointed.

Sure enough, there was a cloudy image forming inside the crystal ball. Chiyo dropped to her knees and leaned forward for a closer look. At first, all she could see was blank space. Then a drifting blob of pink flesh caught her eye. It seemed to be growing bigger and bigger as she watched.

"How can he reform so quickly after a blast like that?" the Lord of Lords wondered. "If he can stand an explosion like that, then how can we defeat him?"

"Well," Chiyo said slowly, gazing at the half-formed creature in the ball, "seven years ago, we defeated a monster named Cell, who did the same thing. We just have to make a blast big enough to vaporize him entirely."

Boo suddenly vanished.

"Did you see that?" Goku said, leaning forward with a frown. "He's using my Instantaneous Movement technique!"

"But how could he learn so fast?" the Lord of Lords said.

The image in the crystal ball changed. Chiyo could see a planet not unlike Earth; peaceful and blue, it floated in the crystal ball.

Then it exploded.

Chiyo watched in shock as the planet disappeared in a flash of light and a silent explosion. Seconds later she saw a pink mass growing where the planet's core would have been.

"Boo!" she spat.

"I think he's searching for you," the old man wheezed. He crouched by the ball and peered with rheumy eyes into its depths. "He is sensing beings that are stronger than average and finding them."

"What's he gonna do, destroy every place he looks?" Goku said angrily.

The Lord of Lords grimaced. "Yes. He has no remorse...he's a killing machine."

"With Instantaneous Movement he can destroy an entire solar system in less than an hour," Goku said, his face dark.

"We can't let that happen!" Chiyo said, looking at the Lord of Lords in dismay. "He'll find us eventually, but only after thousands of people die. I won't let it happen."

"Wait!"

All eyes turned to Dende, who blushed faintly purple at the sudden attention.

"I forgot," he said. "Go to Planet Namek! Surely the new elder will have made more Dragon Balls! The Earth and all those killed can still be resurrected!"

Chiyo stared at the young Kami-sama, puzzled. Elder Moori? Dragon Balls on Namek?

Well, she knew about Namek at the least. Goku had told her stories about the evil Freeza and how he had killed hundreds of Namekian people in his quest for the Dragon Balls. When she was younger it always seemed like a fairytale to frighten children. She knew it was real, but to have someone else talk about it was different.

"Dende, wait," Goku said, interrupting her thoughts. "Planet Namek is so far…Namekians don't have much chi…I don't know if I can teleport there."

"Well…I don't really know what these Dragon Balls are," the Lord of Lords said, "but I can teleport from here to any other planet. It's Kibito's ability. You just saw it."

"No!" the old man interrupted, glaring indignantly at his younger counterpart. "You mustn't use Dragon Balls! They hurl the cosmic order into chaos! Long ago, I warned the Namekians to use them only on their planet! They never interfered in other planets' fates!"

"C'mon, don't be so stingy!" Goku said, before Chiyo could ask what 'cosmic order' meant. "I'll get you a naughty picture of that girl I know! You know you want it! She's not that young anymore, but she's still hot!"

"What on Earth are you talking about?" Chiyo said, looking at the old Lord of Lords. He wore a look on his face that reminded her somewhat of Kamesen'nin.

"I've known her since I was a boy," Goku said encouragingly. "She's great."

"But she's dead."

"Not if the Dragon Balls bring her back to life!"

Vegeta stood up and pointed a gloved finger at Goku.

"Hey! Kakarrot!" he said. "You'd better not be talking about Bulma!"

Goku's sheepish grin said it all.

"I knew it!" Vegeta snapped. "She's my wife! Give him a picture of your own wife!"

"But she'll kill me…and she's flat-chested!" Goku replied, almost cowering at the other Saiyan's furious expression.

"WHAT? Papa!"

"It's, uh, a compliment..."

"He blew up another world!" the Lord of Lords interrupted, and the others lost their indignant expressions. "What a mad creature. He keeps blowing himself up and reforming."

Chiyo stared into the crystal ball. The image showed another world, but one that looked strangely familiar.

There were people of every kind imaginable, all gathered around what looked like a tournament ring. Then to her delight she recognized Kuririn.

"Papa, look! Kuririn!"

Her initial happiness quickly turned to horror, however, when she saw Boo appear in the sky of the world.

"Damn!" Goku cursed, leaning over her shoulder for a better look. "He's found his way to Heaven!"

"Let's get him," Vegeta said.

Chiyo stood up. Her fists were clenched so tight she could feel her nails cutting into her palms. There was a roaring in her ears, and Goku and Vegeta glanced over at her, sensing her rising chi.

"Give them your potara," the old man said to the Lord of Lords. "They can combine again."

"Right." The Lord of Lords tossed one earring to Goku, the other to Vegeta. "Here - before any more planets get destroyed!"

Goku glanced down at the earring, smiled, and said, "No, thanks. We'll do without them. Sorry, but it's not our style…we like to rely on ourselves.

"W-what?"

Goku smiled. "Besides, Boo's on his own now, too."

Permanent? Chiyo said, staring at the earring in her father's hand. _They never said anything about permanent!_

"You fool!" the old man sputtered indignantly. "Who cares about that now? This isn't a tournament match!"

"Well said, Kakarrot."

There was a crunching sound as Vegeta crushed the earring in his palm.

"We're Saiyans," he said. "We have our pride."

The old Lord of Lords stared speechlessly at Vegeta.

Goku just laughed, and opened his hand. The remnants of his earring slipped between his fingers and fell harmlessly onto the grass.

"How are you going to beat Boo in your present state?" the Lord of Lords asked. "He's more powerful than ever. And what's worse, he has no remorse whatsoever."

"Don't worry. We'll think of a plan. He can't come here…and if he blows up other planets, the Dragon Balls can bring them back."

The image in the crystal ball showed Boo fighting two beings; one a human and the other a green man very similar to Piccolo. Chiyo watched with apprehension as Kuririn joined the fight.

Eventually Boo raised his hand, and a ball of chi sprang into existence above his head.

"He's going to blow up the planet," the old man said.

"No!" Goku exclaimed, standing up. "Kuririn and Yamcha have already died - they'll cease to exist in any realm. I won't let it happen!"

"Wait, Kakarrot," Vegeta said, grabbing his rival's arm. "Let's call him here instead. We can get him away from innocents if we raise our chi."

Goku and Vegeta powered up into Super Saiyan 2. Chiyo stepped back as their chi crackled around them.

_That's my father_, she thought proudly, watching Goku frowning in concentration.

There was a sudden burst of familiar chi, and a small creature appeared a few hundred metres away.

Boo.


	74. Final Fight

**Chapter 74 - Final Fight**

Boo pointed and laughed.

"What's he laughing about?" Chiyo said indignantly, glaring at the creature. "I don't see anything funny!"

Vegeta began to crack his knuckles, grinning. "On this planet, we can fight as hard as we want."

Goku turned to the Lord of Lords.

"Take everyone to safety on another planet," he said. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"I understand."

"Go to Namek," Chiyo said. "If your Moori guy really has got the Dragon Balls, then we can use them."

"Alright."

"You're incorrigible!" the old Lord of Lords screeched. "Fine, do what you want! This world won't break so easily!"

Goku looked over at Chiyo, who still stood nearby. She made no move to go with the Lords or Dende.

"Chiyo," he said. "Go with the others."

Normally her father's tone of voice would be enough to discourage Chiyo, but she was in no mood. The Earth was gone, everyone she knew was dead, and Boo was the cause of it. At this moment she couldn't care less if she lived or died - as long as she went down with a fight.

"Chiyo?" Goku repeated.

Chiyo looked at him stonily for a moment, then gave her sweetest smile. "No."

Goku simply looked at her. He knew his daughter rarely argued with him, so he simply waited for her to explain.  
"I have just as much chance as you do of winning," Chiyo continued. "I'm staying and I'm fighting with you. I owe my brothers that much."

Goku began to say something, but Chiyo stopped him with a raised hand.

"Don't, Papa," she said. "I may only be half Saiyan, but I have my pride, too."

There was a moment of silence, then Vegeta smirked.

"You should be proud of this one, Kakarrot," he said, and clapped her on the shoulder.

The Lord of Lords disappeared, taking Dende and the old Lord of Lords (and his crystal ball) with him.

"Okay," Goku said, "Let's give it our best shot?"

"Who goes first?"

Chiyo held up a balled fist. "Janken?" she suggested.

Once again, the three Saiyans were locked in a battle of Paper, Scissors, Rock.

"Paper, scissors, rock! Tie, go again!"

"Damn it. Paper, scissors, rock! Aww..."

"I win! Wahoo!"

Chiyo laughed as Goku pumped his fist in the air and whooped like a boy. Vegeta powered down.

"I want to see this Super Saiyan 3 up close!"

"You sure? You might not get your turn." Goku grinned at Vegeta. "You know, I actually could have beaten the fat Boo with Super Saiyan 3 when I met him."

"Why didn't you?" Chiyo asked.

"I wanted the new generation to make sure they could take care of themselves." Goku turned back to Boo, who stood quietly nearby. "Let's go, Boo."

Silence.

"He's pretty quiet."

A loud snore reached their ears. Chiyo shook her head. "He's really asking for it."

Goku raised his chi and transformed into Super Saiyan. Boo gave a little jolt, opened his eyes, and stared at him. Then he began to pound on his chest.

"Impudent bastard!" Vegeta said, scowling.

Goku rushed forward and kicked Boo in the face.

The battle quickly escalated from there. Boo and Goku were pounding each other with a force that shook the ground. Entire mountains crumbled as either Goku or Boo were sent flying.

"Kakarrot, you are glorious," Vegeta muttered. "This creature is far beyond my power…no-one but you can fight him."

Chiyo nodded. "Times like these make me proud to be a Saiyan. Or at least half."

There was a pause, and she felt Vegeta's eyes on her.

"In times past, you would have been precious to the Saiyan race," he said. "As the last female with Saiyan blood. Through you, the Saiyan race could have been reborn."

Chiyo shrugged. "It's made me a target before, as you know," she said. "But that's the past."

They were suddenly drenched in purple light. Boo was creating a blast twice the size of entire body. To Chiyo's relief, it wasn't large enough to destroy the entire planet. But still...it was deadly, and it was directed at her father.

Boo tossed the blast almost nonchalantly. The blast headed straight for Goku, who received it in his outstretched hands. The purple light faded as he launched it into the sky.

But the purple light soon began to illuminate the landscape seconds later, and Chiyo strained her eyes trying to see what was happening. The blast was coming back.

Boo began to laugh.

BOOM!

The blast hit the ground with an impact that made the entire planet shudder. The sky began to brighten to magenta, then a sickly red, then eventually black. Lightning began to split the darkening sky, and the ground opened up.

Boo was still laughing as the small mountains around the battlefield crumbled. The very air crackled with energy and made Chiyo's hair stand on end.

Goku transformed into Super Saiyan 3 and lightning rent the air.

BOOM! BOOM!

Goku and Boo began to trade blows.

"The whole planet will come apart if this keeps up!" Chiyo shouted over the noise.

"Where else can we go?" Vegeta yelled back. "This will happen to any planet we land on!"

Chiyo looked up in time to see her father darting all over the place, ostensibly to avoid Boo.

"Ka - me - "

Obviously not. Chiyo blinked in confusion and eventually spotted Boo, heading straight for Goku. Still laughing.

"Ha - me - "

_What's so funny?_ Chiyo thought, as the creature's laughs continued. _What a weirdo._

"HA!"

The Kamehameha hit Boo front on. When the smoke cleared, he was in pieces.

But this was nothing to celebrate. Boo's flesh began to grow, but this time each piece formed a miniature version of him. Thousands of little Boo's fired tiny chi blasts directly at Goku.

The Saiyan's chi soared and he transformed into Super Saiyan 3, but suddenly faltered. His chi dropped and he pitched forward.

"Papa!" Chiyo cried, but Vegeta was already there.

"Switch out, Kakarrot," he said. "Rest a while."

Goku stirred and sat up, sighing. Vegeta transformed to Super Saiyan and attacked Boo.

"Are you okay, Papa?" Chiyo said anxiously as Goku landed beside her.

"I'm fine," he replied. "I'm not beaten yet."

Boo's laughter reached their ears. He was reforming into his original form. He attacked Vegeta with a chi blast and began to trade blows with him.

"Papa, why is he laughing?" Chiyo asked.

Goku shrugged. "Who knows? He's weird. He's probably makin' fun of us."

Vegeta blasted Boo with a chi attack, throwing smoke and dust in every direction.

"Ha ha ha ha ha..."

The creature began to reform. Again.

"He's not getting hurt!" Chiyo said despairingly. "What can we do to a creature that just keeps regenerating?"

"Well, it's like you said," her father responded, frowning. "You'd need a blast big enough to vaporize him entirely. Maybe the _Genki-Dama?_" he added, half to himself.

"The what?"

BOOM!

The ground shook with a sudden impact. Chiyo and Goku started, staring at the sky where Boo and Vegeta had been a moment ago.

"Look, there's Boo," Goku said, pointing.

Boo was floating halfway up a nearby cliff. Chiyo followed her father's gaze and saw what he had spotted – Vegeta was stuck in the rock wall, struggling furiously to get out.

Boo opened his palm and a bright point of chi began to grow.

"No!"

Before Chiyo knew what she was doing, she had taken off, transforming into Super Saiyan 2. Her mind raced as she neared Boo. Vegeta had already died; if he died again he would no longer exist...he had saved her life, so she would save his...she couldn't deprive Trunks of his father.

Chiyo lashed out with all her strength and booted Boo, sending him flying.

"My turn," she said to the surprised Vegeta, and released all her power. As she exploded into Super Saiyan 2 she felt the fear begin. She pushed it down inside her and faced Boo.

Boo pointed at her and began to laugh.

That was nothing new, but the pointing? Was he really laughing at her?

Chiyo patted her head self consciously, knowing she probably looked odd with her hair standing on end.

_I'll teach him to laugh at my hair!_ she thought furiously, and attacked.

Boo's fists met her own and they were suddenly in an all out struggle, matching blow for blow. Kicking Boo in the side felt like kicking putty, but his fists were hard as iron. Chiyo needed all of her speed to avoid his blows, which she knew from experience were excruciatingly painful.

BOOM!

Chiyo paid for her lapse in concentration when Boo got through her guard and knocked her flying. She crashed through a small hill and skidded along the ground.

Chiyo flipped upwards, ignoring the sting of new grazes, and launched herself at Boo, seizing the tentacle on his head. She swung him around, ignoring his squeals, and let go. Instead of tumbling, though, Boo used the momentum to swing around. His kick caught her in the back and she fell, landing on her hands and knees. Before she could react, a hard foot slammed on her back and pinned her. Another descended on the back of her head.

Instinctively, Chiyo flung her hands up and caught the edge of Boo's foot. Her muscles bulged with the effort of keeping his foot from crushing her skull.

_Try harder, Chiyo!_ she screamed silently, as Boo pressed down harder, laughing. Sweat poured down her face with the effort, and her grip began to weaken.

Then suddenly the pressure disappeared, and a second later Chiyo was pulled to her feet. She found her father standing over her.

"Switch out," he said. "Boo is too strong."

"No way!" Chiyo said, glaring at him. "I wasn't finished! No fair!"

"I don't care," Goku replied firmly. "I lost my sons to this monster. I don't want to lose my daughter, too."

"But - "

"Son Chiyo! Do as your father tells you!"

Chiyo stared at him, surprised. She couldn't recall her father ever raising his voice at her, or even losing patience, in her entire life. Her mother certainly had spoken to her impatiently before, but never had she been spoken to harshly.

"Yes, Father," she said finally, in as respectful a tone she could manage. She watched as he transformed and attacked Boo.

Vegeta was still trying to extricate himself from the rock wall when Chiyo reached him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"What do you think?" the Saiyan snarled, knocking her proffered hand away. "And you! You stole my turn!"

"Sorry..."


	75. Vegeta's Sacrifice

**Chapter 75 - Vegeta's Sacrifice**

"Ka - me - ha - me - HA!"

Goku and Boo struggled endlessly in the sky as Chiyo and Vegeta looked on.

"Papa can't keep this up," Chiyo said uneasily. Her sharp eyes were beginning to pick out the beginnings of fatigue in her father. "He's strong, but Boo just keeps coming back."

"Yes."

Vegeta suddenly took off as Goku burst from the ground.

"Hey! Wait!"

Chiyo followed him, casting a nervous glance at Boo. The monster was regenerating.

"Kakarrot."

Goku glanced over his shoulder. "You wanna switch already? Gimme a minute."

Vegeta snorted. "Quit lying. You never planned to switch."

Goku looked surprised, then uncomfortable. "No way, I never..."

"Don't try to make me feel better," the other Saiyan interrupted. "You're right, Boo is stronger than I imagined. And so, Kakarrot, are you. Don't mind me. Finish him off! Build up your chi with Super Saiyan 3, and you should be able to obliterate him!"

Goku nodded. "Well, I've been tryin' to, but I haven't had the chance. I'd have to rev up for a whole minute to get enough power."

"A minute?"

"Yeah. I thought things would go better than this."

They glanced over at Boo, who was dancing in mid air.

"Boo," Goku muttered. "He keeps draggin' this out. The little punk's havin' fun."

"One minute is enough?" Vegeta insisted. "If you have one minute?"

"Yeah."

Vegeta seemed to be deep in thought for a few moments. Then he said, "AlrightI'll buy you that minute. Build up your chi!"

"No!" Chiyo said.

"You're gonna hold him off while I build up my chi?" Goku said disbelievingly. "But that'll take a whole minute…"

"I'll help," Chiyo interrupted. "Vegeta and I can do it."

"No. I won't allow it."

"Is there any other way to beat him?" Vegeta snapped. "Don't worry about Chiyo - or me. We'll stall him for that long.

Goku frowned.

"Okay," he said after a moment. "I'm counting on you. But you're dead right now, Vegeta…and if you die again you'll be gone from this world and the afterlife. So stay alive. "

"Tell that to yourself," Vegeta said. He beckoned to Chiyo. "Come. Let's kick ass."

Giggling to herself, Chiyo began to increase her chi along with the Saiyan prince. Behind them, Goku's chi began to climb.

They attacked.

Chiyo was used to fighting alongside her father and brother, or their friends. She knew a moment of apprehension as she and Vegeta rushed Boo, but as the fight began her tension eased. She began to anticipate his moves by sensing fluctuations in his chi, and began to move in sync, covering his flank or providing a barrier to prevent Boo getting around his guard.

But they were still no match for Boo - even together.

Twenty seconds into the fight and Chiyo and Vegeta found themselves knocked to the ground, gasping in pain from the creature's blows.

Boo showed no trace of humour in his face as he planted his boot into Vegeta's back. Before Chiyo could react she found Boo's tentacle wrapped around her neck. She was pulled into the air, choking, and flung into the ground.

Chiyo felt another rib crack and hissed between her teeth. Her breath was stolen seconds later, though, as Boo's tentacle (which was still wrapped around her neck) tightened. She was lifted into the air, gasping, and the pressure increased.

Red spots danced here and there in Chiyo's vision. She twisted and struggled, fingers scrabbling on the pink flesh, and managed to move her head downwards, closer...until her teeth found the flesh and bit down as hard as she could.

Boo squealed and flung her away. Chiyo flipped in mid air and landed, wrinkling her nose at the taste of Boo's skin. She spat to the side, wiping her mouth, and grinned at the monster.

WHAM!

Boo's fist connected with Chiyo's cheek. She staggered, disoriented by the blow, and was met with another that broke her nose.

"Arrrghhhh!"

Chiyo barely had time to recover before Boo's foot planted itself in her chest, in her stomach, and on her other cheek.

_Is this Boo's real power, or am I getting tired?_ she wondered, reeling as the creature caught her side with a blow that cracked another rib.

"BOO!"

Boo paused a foot away from Chiyo's face, and glanced backwards. Vegeta had risen from the crater they had been knocked into and was standing, transformed into Super Saiyan 2.

"Do you think I'd be killed so easily?" he said, puffing out his chest. "Idiot! The girl's no challenge. You want a real fight? I'm your man. I'll make mincemeat out of you!"

Boo began to laugh. He straightened up and moved away from Chiyo, leaving her gasping with a mixture of pain and relief.

BOOM!

Boo and Vegeta collided, and the sound of their fighting sent mild tremours through the ground.

Chiyo stood up shakily, pressing her hands to her ribs in an attempt to lessen the pain.

_Come on, Papa,_ she thought, looking to the sky. Goku was still gathering chi...had it really not been even a whole minute yet? They were dying.

Vegeta wasn't faring well. Boo was too fast and too strong for him; for both of them. Every blow the Saiyan struck he dodged or took easily (and Chiyo had a healthy respect for the strength of Vegeta's blows).

Boo knocked Vegeta flying with a roundhouse kick. The Saiyan had barely any time to react before Boo's arm, grown unnaturally long, wrapped around his neck and tightened. This time, the grip was lethal.

"Damn it!" Chiyo exclaimed. She began to create a _Kienzan_ with one hand, wincing at a stab of pain in her side. It was taking too long, and she began to panic. Vegeta was dying, and she was too tired to help.

"Papa, do something!" she screamed at the sky. "I can't - "

"BOO!"

A deep voice rang out across the battlefield, and Boo paused. Chiyo's _Kienzan_ faltered and disappeared as she looked around for the source.

Nearby stood Mr Satan with his hands on his hips and an expression of arrogance.

Chiyo blinked like a startled owl.

_Didn't he go with Dende and the others?_ she thought. _It's dangerous for him to be here._

"Asshole!" Satan shouted, pointing at the creature. "Do you think you can get away with all this? I am the champion of the world, and I will allow this to continue no longer! You shall be sorry you ever incurred the wrath of Hercule!"

"Satan, what are you doing?" Chiyo shouted, not bothering to address him politely. "Run! RUN!"

Boo dropped Vegeta. His arm began to retract back into his shoulder until it reached a normal size.

And then he attacked.

_Crap, what do I do_? Chiyo thought. _Satan or Vegeta?_

She didn't take long to decide. Vegeta was already dead; if he died he would vanish completely. Satan had never died, and secretly Chiyo thought dying might teach him some humility. Besides, he could be wished back.

She raced to Vegeta. The Saiyan was unconscious, bleeding from the mouth and he had lost his Super Saiyan transformation.

"Vegeta," she said, shaking him gently. He groaned.

"This dream is too scary!"

Chiyo glanced over at Satan. Boo was standing before him, but his expression was strange; confused and apprehensive. Satan was cowering on the ground.

Then Boo clutched his head and began to scream.

_What on Earth is he doing?_ Chiyo wondered. She felt uneasy; usually when Boo began to act strangely, his chi increased in some way.

Mr Satan obviously didn't feel the same way. He bean to laugh, pointing at the grunting Boo.

"C'mon, coward! Tremble! Grovel!"

"Run away!" Chiyo shouted again, motioning to him. "You'll die if you don't!"

"Die? Me? Ha ha ha! You must be joking, kid!"

Vegeta suddenly sat up with a grunt.

"Kakarrot, how much longer?" he shouted.

"Yeah..." Goku glanced down at him. "I don't understand it…I got close to full power, but I'm losing chi again!"

"What?"

Suddenly Boo spat. Before Chiyo could be disgusted, however, a familiar figure appeared before them and crashed to the ground with a thud.

Boo!

Not Boo, as he was now, but the original Boo. The Boo that had first come out of Bibbidi's prison.

Chiyo stared at the lifeless form crumpled on the ground.

_Boo must have been inside him..himself all this time_, she thought, as the other Boo began to laugh. _But how...? That doesn't make sense._

The other Boo began to walk towards Satan, who crouched.

"What?" he said. "You still want to fight, eh? I'm warning you! I'm too powerful!"

There was a pause.

"Okay, if you have a death wish!"

WHAM!

Boo's fist connected with Satan's face. Chiyo winced as the human fighter went flying.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Satan moaned, clutching his face and rolling on the ground. "I thought dreams weren't supposed to hurt!"

So he thought it was a dream. Chiyo rolled her eyes - but at the same time she was glad. A punch like that could have killed him outright, but it didn't. She wondered why.

"You'd better quit now before you really make me mad!" Satan roared, from where he was standing (a good few hundred feet from Boo). "You've got one last chance to apologize!"

Boo began to pound his chest again.

_Such weird behaviour_, Chiyo thought. Something about the way he was acting bothered her, but she wasn't sure how. Wasn't it something monkeys did? Pounding on their chests when they were going to...attack...

Chiyo threw herself forward as Boo charged.

BOOM!

A chi blast barely missed the small Boo as he lunged for Mr Satan. The creature stopped mere feet away from the human fighter, puzzled, and glanced around.

The fat Boo was back on his feet, and he was staring at his smaller counterpart with as serious an expression as Chiyo had ever seen on him.

"I don't like you," he said. "Stop hurting Hercule."

The two Boo's attacked.

_I must have missed something_, Chiyo thought, watching as the two creatures battled themselves in the sky. The idea of Boo knowing who Satan was, or caring about him at all, threw her. Was it possible that Boo wasn't the killing machine the Lord of Lords had said he was? Well, the fatter version. Who knew? It was just one more mystery she would demand explanations for when this was all over - if they were all alive.

"Kakarrot, how long are you gonna take?" Vegeta shouted. "Haven't you gotten enough chi yet?"

Chiyo looked at her father. His chi wasn't getting any bigger now; in fact, it was faltering. As she watched, the bolts of electricity began to dissipate - and his chi suddenly vanished, taking the Super Saiyan transformation with it.

"Papa!" Chiyo shouted. "What's happening?"

Goku landed nearby and leant on his knees, puffing for breath.

"Damn it," he said. "It worked when I was dead. I guess it takes too much chi to be Super Saiyan 3 while you're alive." He grinned slightly. "I'm at the end of my rope..."

The three Saiyans watched the battle between the two Boo's. Slowly the fat Boo was losing; his power was no match for his counterpart. Each blow was taking its toll.

"This is bad," Goku said wearily. "It's only a matter of time."

There was a pause, in which Vegeta glanced at Goku.

Then -

"Dende! Gods!" he shouted. "If you can hear me - answer now!"

Then moments later, Chiyo heard Dende's voice, as if he was on the other end of a telephone line.

_"Yes...I can hear you.."_

"Good," Vegeta interrupted. "Go to the new Planet Namek and get their Dragon Balls!"

_"Why?"_

"Do it! Or we'll run out of time!"

"Right."

"Vegeta, what are you gonna do?" Goku asked. "It's too early to use the Dragon Balls."

"Kakarrot, how many times have you saved the Earth?" Vegeta asked without turning around.

"I dunno…a bunch of times. What's this about?"

"Once in a while," Vegeta said, "the people of Earth should do their share of the work."

_"Vegeta! We have all seven Dragon Balls already!"_

Dende's voice echoed around them again, and Chiyo glanced at Vegeta. The Saiyan smirked.

"Then summon Porunga now!" he said. "We have two wishes! 1. Restore the Earth. 2 Resurrect everyone who's died since the day of the tournament…except the bad guys!"

_"But..."_

"Dende, Vegeta must have a plan," Goku said. "Do as he says."

_"Yes! And the third wish?"_

"Whatever you want," Vegeta said. "I don't care."

"Hey," Chiyo interrupted. "Shouldn't the second wish be to resurrect all the people killed by Boo? That would make it simpler, wouldn't it?"

"No!" Vegeta replied without looking at her. "Dabra and Bobbidi would be brought to life then. Also, the people I killed at the tournament would be dead."

_"Wait!"_ Dende said suddenly. _"Vegeta, Porunga can only bring back one person to life at a time!"_

"What?"

"That's right!" Goku said, groaning. "I forgot."

There was a pause, then Dende spoke again.

_"Never mind! There's no limit."_

"Good," Vegeta said. "Begin, then."

Chiyo stared at Vegeta, wondering what the plan was, but the Saiyan's expression said nothing. Whatever plan he had, he wasn't telling. Frustrated, she stared impatiently at the battle still continuing in the sky, and waited.

WHAM!

There was a great crash as the fat Boo was knocked into the ground by his smaller self. The small Boo grinned viciously, and to Chiyo's astonishment, pulled off his left arm. He sent the limb spinning towards the fallen Boo, knocking him off his feet again.

"See that, Kakarrot?" Vegeta said. "The fat one's power is going down…they can get hurt when they're fighting another Boo. Dende!" he said, raising his voice. "Isn't he done yet?"

"_Everyone's back to life!"_

As Chiyo watched, the halo around Vegeta's head vanished.

"Hey, your halo disappeared too!" Goku said, pointing to the other Saiyan. "He must think you're not a bad guy! Good for you!"

So the wishes had brought back the Earth and everyone on it. Chiyo almost danced on the spot with joy. Everyone she knew was alive again! They would be waiting on Earth for her when she got back.

If she got back, Chiyo reminded herself. The danger was still very real. The fat Boo wouldn't last against himself very long.

"I know!" Goku said suddenly. "You're gonna get Gohan and Gotenks to fight with us!"

"No!" Vegeta replied. "Start making ready for a _Genki-Dama!_"


	76. Defeated At Last

**Chapter 76 - Defeated at Last**

"Genki Dama?" Chiyo repeated.

"A Genki Dama?" Goku said. "That's your great plan? It won't work! Taking a bit of energy from everyone on Earth won't be nearly enough for -"

"I said, let the Earthlings save themselves for once!" Vegeta interrupted. "You're going to take more than a bit! Take as much energy as you can!"

_"Vegeta, Porunga wants our third wish…!"_

"We don't need it!" Vegeta said. "Lord of Lords - I want to talk to the people of Earth! Can you arrange it?"

_"Like Bobbidi did? I'm afraid not..."_

_"Leave that to me! It's my speciality!"_

A new voice interrupted the telepathic conversation. The nasal tone reminded Chiyo of something she had seen when she was a kid...some memory she couldn't quite recall.

_"It's the Lord of Worlds!"_ said the voice. _"And I'm flattered, Vegeta! Choosing my Genki-Dama as the closer! I can let you talk to everyone in the universe if you want!"_

Vegeta paused, then raised his head and spoke.

"People of Earth! Can you hear me?"

Chiyo stared first at her father, then at Vegeta.

_Is it like a telephone call or something?_ she wondered.

"Right now, a warrior risks his life against Boo to save you," Vegeta said, and Chiyo realised she had missed half the conversation.

"But the situation is grim! Boo is far stronger even than Cell! We need your help! Raise your hands to the sky! You'll feel tired, but don't worry - your strength will return! Do it - raise your hands!"

"Great idea, Vegeta," Goku said, grinning. He tore the rest of his ruined shirt away and leapt into the sky, raising his hands. And to Chiyo's surprise, a glowing blue ball of chi began to grow above his head.

"Everybody, all the energy you can!" Goku shouted. "Please!"

Chiyo raised a hand and felt some of her energy leave her. The Genki Dama grew a little bigger.

"I can spare more than that," she said, raising another hand. More energy leeched from her hands and was added to the Genki Dama.

"It's huge!" Goku shouted. "Must be Gohan and the rest!"

"But it's not everything," Vegeta muttered. "Why not...?"

Then Chiyo began to hear voices. They started off as a buzz in her ears, then an annoying, constant murmur.

_"Who is he?"_

_"He's saying to raise our hands!"_

_"Why should we?"_

_"I don't want to!"_

_"This is a dream!"_

"Hey, this isn't enough!" Goku shouted from the sky. "This is just from our friends! What's everybody doing?"

_That isn't big enough?_ Chiyo thought dubiously, shielding her eyes from the Genki Dama's glow. _Just how big does that thing get...?_

"Earthlings, do you want Boo to kill you again?" Vegeta shouted. "You have a chance to save your own planet - for once!"

_"He's sick! They steal your energy!"_

_"Don't fall for it!"_

_"I'll bet it's Bobbidi again!"_

"Worthless idiots!" Vegeta snarled, as Chiyo and Satan glanced around. "The fat one is close to death!"

Chiyo glanced over at the battle, which had been carrying on all this time. Boo was beaten badly; he was barely putting up a fight. The smaller Boo stood over him grinning, with his hand held out.

"STOP IT!" Satan roared. He picked up a rock and flung it at Boo. "YOU BASTARD!"

The rock struck Boo in the head, and he glanced around. His demonic eyes widened as he spotted Goku in the sky, and the glowing Genki Dama.

"HAAA!"

"Kakarrot!" Vegeta shouted, as Boo lunged for them. "I'll buy some time - somehow! You persuade the human idiots!"

He shot upwards, appearing in Boo's path as he flew at Goku.

WHAM!

Boo buried his fist in Vegeta's stomach, and the Saiyan doubled over in agony, gasping. Boo grabbed his hair.

Chiyo transformed into Super Saiyan 2 and joined the fight, kicking Boo in the back.

"People of Earth, please!" Goku shouted. "Give me your energy! We need your help! Raise your hands - hurry!"

Chiyo glanced at the Genki Dama, but it had grown only slightly. Her lapse in concentration earned her a punch in the face. The pain galvanised her, and she attacked Boo along with Vegeta.

"I only got a little bit more!" Goku shouted, as Chiyo and Vegeta fought Boo in the sky. "Why won't they understand?"

"Hurry! Please! Don't you fools care about Earth?"

_"He's calling us fools!"_

_"Well, I like that! And him asking us for a favour!"_

_"He's rude!"_

_"Maybe the whole Boo thing never happened!"_

_"Yeah, maybe we were under mass hypnosis!"_

_This is hopeless!_ Goku thought. He could feel Chiyo and Vegeta's chi getting smaller and smaller. They were dying for him, and he couldn't do anything. They needed more energy - they needed a miracle.

"OH SHUT UP! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST HELP?"

Goku started as Mr Satan's roar rang across the battlefield. Then there was a flurry of voices.

_"It's Hercule!"_

_"What's going on?"_

_"It's Hercule...is he fighting Boo?"_

"That's right!" Satan shouted. "I want my people to help me beat up Boo!"

Goku stared at him.

"They won't trust us otherwise," Satan said with an apologetic shrug.

_"HERCULE! HERCULE!"_

Then the Genki Dama began to grow.

WHAM!

Chiyo cried out in pain as both she and Vegeta were kicked viciously by Boo. He was punching them mercilessly now, not even bothering to play around. Pain blinded all of her senses and numbed her to everything else. She couldn't even fight back anymore.

Through her blurred consciousness she vaguely heard her father shouting.

"RUN! Here it comes!"

Chiyo fell forward and her cheek hit the ground.

"Vegeta! Chiyo! I don't want to hurt you too!"

Weeping with pain, Chiyo pulled herself up on her elbows and looked into the sky. The Genki Dama was enormous; bigger than anything she had ever seen - and she, Boo and Vegeta were right in the path of it.

"Just do it!" she shouted hoarsely. "Hurry up and kill him! Don't worry about us!"

Boo threw a chi blast at Goku.

_Papa!_ Chiyo thought, and began to struggle. There was something wrong with her legs. They wouldn't work...she felt numb and stupid. Her vision was tinged with red.

_I'm dying_, she thought._ I'm dead._

"Chiyo, Chiyo!"

The voice was unfamiliar. Chiyo blinked, looked around, blinked again. There was a face before her. The black, curly hair and moustache was strange.

"Can you walk?" Hercule said. Without waiting for a reply he picked her up easily and slung her over his back. Chiyo didn't bother trying to move, even when she felt jolted by the human fighter's running. Vegeta was beneath her, being carried as well - but he didn't protest. He was unconscious.

"Do it!" Satan roared. "Finish him off!"

There was a flash of chi, and Chiyo was blinded by a burst of light.

Satan stopped, and Chiyo rolled off his shoulder onto her hands and knees. She got to her feet, tottering unsteadily, and saw Vegeta was up.

"It won't work!" he said. "Kakarrot doesn't have the power to unleash it!"

The Genki Dama was powerful enough to kill Boo, but it seemed to be wavering. Boo wasn't going to go down easily.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Chiyo said. "Can't we help Papa somehow?"

Suddenly, Goku's chi began to climb.

"_Goku!"_ Dende said. _"Your energy! We wished for -"_

Chiyo whooped, jumping up and down on the spot.

"Good work!" Vegeta said. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Do it, Papa!" Chiyo shouted. "Do it now!"

BOOM!

The Genki Dama hit the ground, enveloping the tiny figure that was Boo. Chiyo felt the monster's chi drop, fade, then vanish.

For a moment she stood stunned, unable to believe that Boo was really gone. She searched for his chi, over and over again.

No trace. No trace remained.

"Is...is it really over?" Satan said tentatively, as Goku landed in front of them. "Did you get him?"

Chiyo stumbled forwards on unsteady legs and fell into her father's arms, crying and laughing at once.

"We did it! We did it!"

There was a pop, and the Lord of Lords, the old god and Dende appeared in front of them.

"Well," said the old man, staring around, "you've sure ravaged this old world."

"Could you heal Vegeta first?" Goku said, as Dende approached him. "He's pretty tired."

Dende ran to the Saiyan and held his hands over Vegeta, who accepted the ministrations reluctantly. Chiyo was next, and she sat on the ground cross-legged and let the Namekian heal her. Slowly, her aches and pains faded. She still felt like a wrung-out sponge, but at least her ribs weren't broken.

"Ahh! Boo!"

Chiyo, Goku and Vegeta tensed automatically.

"What?"

Sure enough, Mr Satan and the puppy Bee were hovering around the fat Boo, who was lying unconscious only a few feet away.

Boo! Chiyo had forgotten about him; they had been distracted by the other Boo and the Genki Dama. Now she felt the fear beginning to rise in her.

"He's still alive! Please help him!" Satan cried, bending over the creature. "Can't you heal him with your magic?"

"Oh sure!" Vegeta roared. He pointed at the unconscious Boo, palm held forwards. "Move! I'll finish him off!"

"Please don't! This one's not so bad! He did those things because the bad one made him..!"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Chiyo said angrily, climbing to her feet. Even if it wasn't entirely this Boo's fault, he had killed thousands, even millions of people for his own amusement.

"What if he creates another of those monsters?" Vegeta snapped. "That really _will_ be the end of the world! Now step aside, fool!"

"He only turned bad because a human killed this dog!" Satan replied, almost pleadingly. "Please, I beg you! I'll make sure he stays at our house!"

"'Make sure?' Don't make me laugh! What could _you_ do?" Vegeta's hand began to glow. "Step aside, or I'll kill you too!"

But to Chiyo's astonishment, Satan stayed where he was. He squeezed his eyes shut and ducked his head down.

_Get out of the way already,_ Chiyo thought, glancing at Vegeta. The Saiyan was hesitating, though his scowl was dark as ever.

"Heal him, Dende," Goku said suddenly.

"What?" Vegeta's head snapped around. "Are you insane?"

"This Boo and Hercule tried to help us," Goku replied mildly. "We'd've been finished without them. We'll fight again if we have to. Let's train hard so we can't lose next time."

"Living on Earth could be a problem for him," the Lord of Lords said. "Everyone will be so afraid of him."

"Well," Goku replied, "If he's willing to remain inside for six months, the Dragon Balls will come back and we'll ask Shen Long to erase people's memories of Boo."

Vegeta lowered his hand.

"Idiots!" he said. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Thank you! Thank you!" Satan said, leaning over Boo.

"Let's heal him and go home," Goku said cheerfully, as Dende began to heal the creature. "I want a big meal and a long nap!"

"Mmmhmm," Chiyo murmured, leaning against her father. "I could sleep for a few days."

Goku, Chiyo, Vegeta, Dende, Boo and Mr Satan walked around the corner into Kami-sama's palace courtyard. It was spotless, restored from Dende's wish to the Namekian Dragon Balls.

Their friends and family were waiting for them. As they rounded the corner, there was a rousing cheer.

Chiyo beamed as she spotted her family in the crowd. It was as if they had never left.

Goten leaped into Goku's arms as Chiyo and Chi-Chi looked on, laughing. Chiyo sidled up to her mother and gave her a squeeze.

"No tears for me, Ma?" she said teasingly.

Chi-Chi smiled at her. "I knew you'd be fine if you were with your father."

There was a sudden scream, and Chiyo glanced over at a tree nearby. Boo was peeking from behind it, almost shyly.

"Easy there!" Goku said, as Trunks took a step forward. "Whoa!"

"It's alright, son," Vegeta said gruffly. "He's our...guest."

Chiyo grinned at the apprehensive look on the others' faces. Although she still felt wary of Boo, she knew her father, or even Gohan, could probably beat him as he was.

"It's good to be back," Goku said, smiling. "Guess what? The old Lord of Lords gave me his life. I'm not dead anymore."

Chi-Chi's mouth dropped open. She moved forward, almost tentatively, and said, "You mean...we can live as a family again?"

Goku laughed. "Well, if you can put up with me!"

Chi-Chi stared at her husband for a moment, then began to cry.

Chiyo hid a smile behind her hand as Goku hugged his wife.

"It's okay," he said, patting her back. "I'm back for good."


	77. World Tournament

**Chapter 77 – World Tournament**

"_Give not over thy soul to sorrow; and afflict not thyself in thy own counsel. Gladness of heart is the life of man and the joyfulness of man is length of days."_

- Ecclesiastes

_Boo was defeated by Son Goku with the legendary Genki Dama, and life went on as normal. Months, then years passed - the Z fighters and their children grew and changed._

_Finally, the tenth anniversary of the Tenkaichi Budokai approached..._

May 6th, 784 A.D.

"Stop goofing around, Goten!"

Chiyo watched her father and brother trade clumsy blows a few feet away. Well, clumsy for Goten, anyway - he had been getting lazy as of late. She wasn't sure he even bothered training when their father wasn't around to push him.

"Hey, I'm - trying," Goten called back, panting as he dodged lightning-fast blows. "You're not the one having - to fight Dad - here."

"I don't need to!" Chiyo shouted, grinning. "Because if I were, I'd already have him beat!"

"Oh yeah?"

Goku's wrist snapped forward and unleashed a chi blast. Chiyo leapt out of the way, barely dodging a tree, and back flipped.

"HEY!" she shouted. "What was that for?"

"To keep you on your toes!" her father called back, laughing as he knocked away Goten's foot.

Chiyo watched her father and brother fighting with a critical eye. In the last few years, seventeen-year old Goten had begun to slack off in his training. Like Gohan, he was distracted with the adolescent life - school and homework, chores, and of course (though unlike his older brother) girls.

At twenty-one, school was far behind Chiyo. She had gone to Orange Star High School like her older brother, but at her insistence, only the last year. The people of Earth were no longer unaware of the Z fighters' secret powers, and enough kids at school recognized her that the last year of high school was awkward, to say in the least. These days, she worked at Mr Satan's _dojo_. The smell of sweat and leather had become familiar to her, and Hercule let her take days off when she needed. Saving the world (and his credibility) had given him a debt he could never repay, and it worked out well for Chiyo.

"You're in for it now, Dad!"

"Heh!"

In two blows, Goten was on the ground. Again.

"One of these days!" he said, grumbling to himself as he brushed grass off his pants.

Chiyo bent over him, laughing, and offered a hand to help him up. "Beaten again, eh Goten?"

"Shut up," he muttered, pushing her hand away.

"Hey, what a surprise!" Goku called, and the siblings glanced up. Bulma and Vegeta were there, standing a few feet away from a Capsule Corp. plane.

"Oh yes! Five years ago!" Bulma was saying. "In between training trips!"

Chiyo rolled her eyes. Her father didn't _have_ to train...but he preferred it to social gatherings. Except when there was food involved.

"Shut your rude mouth!" Bulma yelled, and Chiyo stifled a giggle. "I'll have you know some people consider me a babe! I get questions like that all the time. 'Miss, you're very young, aren't you?' Excuse me for not being a monster!"

"We Saiyans live in battle, so we remain in our prime longer," Vegeta said.

"I guess your race didn't keep your manners, either!" she snapped.

"Kakarrot, is it true you're going to the tournament tomorrow?" Vegeta asked, ignoring Bulma.

"Yeah, I just decided today. You should come too!"

"Why?"

"There's a great fighter coming! I've been keeping an eye on him - and he's there today!"

"I don't feel any powerful chi."

"Oh, he's holding back for now. But I can feel it - and he's strong!" Goku grinned at his old rival. Chiyo glanced up and moved closer so she could hear the conversation

"I don't believe it," Vegeta rumbled. "Strong enough for you? That's impossible. Unless he's an alien."

"No, he's human."

"So, not an Android?"

"No, he's 100% human being."

"How could that be possible?" Bulma interrupted. "You and Vegeta are the best. There's no way anyone here could beat you."

A familiar chi suddenly appeared on the horizon, and Chiyo glanced up with a smile. The others followed her gaze as Trunks landed before them.

"Trunks?" Goten said. "I don't believe it!"

"Hey!" Trunks said. "I hear you've been training. Are you gonna enter?"

Goten shrugged. "I didn't want to, but Dad's making me. And I had a date tomorrow, too."

"You can go on a date any day," Goku chided his son. "This only comes around once every three years. It's a great opportunity for your training."

"We both have a hard time with our kids," Vegeta said.

Goku shrugged. "At least that means the world's at peace."

"No, they're just lazy," Chiyo said, punching Trunks on the shoulder.

"Are not!" Goten shot back. "At least I'm out here training in the evening! All you do at night is hang out with your _boyfriend!_"

Chiyo raised an eyebrow at him, though Bulma and Trunks' curious glances made her cheeks redden.

"Boyfriend?" Bulma said teasingly. "Chiyo's got a boyfriend?"

"Yeah!" Goten replied, grinning. "Last week I caught her kissing him behind the back - hey!"

"Shut - _up!_" Chiyo snapped, and smacked him on the back of the head. "Are you a sucker for punishment or somethin'? Keep that up and I'll beat you up myself!"

There was a sudden burst of familiar chi, and Goku looked up.

"Oh, she's back!" he said.

"Already?" Chiyo said, grinning. "That was quick!"

A tiny dot appeared on the horizon, moving fast against the wind. The group watched as a little girl appeared from the clouds and landed in front of Goku, beaming.

"Grampa!" she said. "I just flew aroun' the world!"

"Great!" Goku replied, smiling at her. "That was pretty quick!"

"So can I go to the tournament?"

Chiyo put her hands on the little girl's shoulders and leaned over her.

"Good work, my pretty Pan!" she said. "You'll be fine for the Budokai."

"Wait," Trunks said, staring at the little girl. "_You're_ entering the tournament?"

"Yeah!" Pan said.

"But...there's no more kids' division," Bulma said. "She isn't going to fight with grown-ups, is she?"

"She'll be fine," Goku said, ruffling his granddaughter's hair. "She probably won't win, but it doesn't mater. She's got the most moxie of all of us! Right?"

"Right!"

Vegeta looked at the small girl for a moment, then smirked.

"Pan has the right attitude," he said. "Maybe I should go too. And that means you too, Trunks! Or I'll cut your allowance in half!"

"What? No!"

Goten whooped and began to dance on the spot, laughing. "Yeah! This'll be great!"

Chiyo seized Pan by the arms and swung her in the air, prompting a squeal of laughter.

"I'll make you a deal, Pan!" she said. "If you can fly around the world again, we'll go for ice-cream. How's that?"

"Okay!"

The Tenkaichi Budokai was, as always, crowded.

Chiyo looked around with interest at the brightly coloured food stalls. Children ran by with ice-cream cones the size of their heads, followed by their harassed-looking mothers. Here and there were people, mostly men, dressed up in fighting uniforms and showing off their muscles to awed passers-by.

"It's like a festival now," she observed.

"I know!" Bulma said, wrinkling her nose. "I hate crowds. I didn't think it would be this popular, but ever since Boo and Satan started entering..."

"Gohan, how are we for time?" Goku said.

"We're early."

Goku grinned down at the small girl by his side. "Let's go, Pan."

"Yay!"

Pan and Goku were swallowed by the crowd in the time it took for Gohan to look up. He blinked like a startled owl and looked around.

"Where'd they go?"

"Chiyo!"

Chiyo glanced over her shoulder and spotted a tall, dark-haired young man making his way towards her.

"Soya," she called, and waved. Goten and Trunksbegan to snigger.

Soya's face lit up with a grin as he approached her. He was one of her friends from high school, one of the few she actually talked to. She had been impatient with most of the students, particularly the girls and their gossiping ways. Soya had stuck around and made an effort to see her, even though he lived hours away.

"What took you so long?" she said, grinning at him.

"Let's go look at the attractions," Soya said, grabbing her hand. "Come on. We're early, right? Let's go."

Chiyo glanced around at the crowded pathway and shrugged. "Alright." She tapped Chi-Chi on the shoulder. "Mom, we'll be back later."

"What? Where are you going?" Chi-Chi twisted around to catch a glimpse of her daughter as she disappeared.

"We'll be back!"

Half an hour later, Chiyo and Soya caught up with their family and friends as they arrived at the fighters' area of the tournament.

Chiyo bounced up and down on the spot as she recognised people she hadn't seen for years. Yamcha, Kuririn, Piccolo, Eighteen, Marron - was she really almost grown up now?

"We're a little...well, why haven't you called or come by?" Kuririn was saying to a sheepish Goku. "We're your friends. Isn't that more important than training?"

"Sorry," Goku replied. "I got yelled at by Bulma as well. But you do have phones, don't you?"

"No," Piccolo said. "I can't figure mine out."

"You gonna enter?"

The Namekian snorted. "And step into the ring with the likes of you? No, I'm going to watch. I'm too old."

"You don't look a day older," Gohan said to his old mentor, grinning.

"Gampa!"

Pan was tugging on Goku's shirt frantically, still trying to chew the remains of what had been an enormous ice-cream less than ten minutes ago.

"Grampa!" she said. "We're gonna be late!"

"So we are," Goku replied. "We'll see you guys later."

"You're not entering, Kuririn?" Chiyo asked, noting the fighter's smart suit. "You could have a good chance."

He laughed. "Nah, kiddo. I'm way too old for it now. Besides, I don't want to be embarrassed."

"Let's go!" Pan insisted. "Let's go!"

Goku let himself be dragged away by his granddaughter, waving back over his shoulder.

"Good luck," Soya said, giving Chiyo a brief hug. "I'll be watching."

"Good luck," Gohan said, clapping Goten on the shoulder. "Try not to overdo it. We don't want to show off too much."

"Easy for me," Chiyo said cheerfully. "Not so easy for him."

"Shut up," Goten shot back.

"Behave," Chi-Chi said sternly. "And good luck."

Chiyo waved to her mother and friends and followed the rest of the fighters. Goku, Vegeta, Pan, Goten, Trunks...she could be up against any of them.

But she was prepared.


	78. Goodbye for Goku

**Chapter 78 - Goodbye for Goku**

"Hello, Goku!"

Chiyo stood in the hallway of the champion's quarters at the Tenkaichi Budokai.

Hercule leaned out of the doorway with a smile on his face. Ten years hadn't changed a thing about him save for his hairline; he was still the reigning champion and had been ever since Boo began to enter the tournament.

"My sweet little Pan!" she heard him say. "Did you come to cheer for your grandpa?"

"Nope, I'm fightin'!"

Chiyo suppressed a giggle. Pan had the same bluntness about her that Chiyo had as a child - still had, in fact.

"We all passed the prelims, of course," Goku said. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder to where she, Goten, Trunks and Vegeta were waiting.

"Don't worry - if one of us gets to the end, we'll let you win!"

Goku said in an undertone to Hercule, who looked distinctly nervous.

"I don't know about that!" Chiyo said with an impish grin. "I like the idea of being a world champion!"

"Don't tease 'im, Chiyo!" Goku chided, as Hercule turned white.

"Hey Hercule," Goten said suddenly. "The stands are full. The others were wondering if you could get them seats."

"Ho ho!" the world champion chortled. "Leave that to me!"

"We will now draw lots to determine the order!" the announcer called. "If you passed the preliminaries, please step over here!"

A total of twelve people had passed the preliminaries and were admitted into the finals. There were people of all shapes and sizes, and all were men (with the exception of Chiyo and Pan). Chiyo even spotted a dark-skinned kid who looked about ten years old and terrified.

_Poor kid_, she thought. _He'll have no chance._

"So where's this 'great fighter' supposed to be?" Trunks said.

"Dunno," Goten said, shrugging. "But there are sure some weirdos…"

"Twelve competitors will square off against one another in single elimination combat," the announcer said. "The winner will fight the defending champion, Hercule, for the championship."

"Which one is it, Kakarrot?" Vegeta asked.

"Please step forward when I call your name…"

"I'll save the fun for later," Goku said mischievously. He leaned over to Boo. "Hey Boo, can you change the numbers with your magic?"

Chiyo tuned out as the announcer began to call names. She, too, began to wonder just where this 'great fighter' was. The men were all human, and none of them looked particularly strong. It would have to be an extremely strong person to pose a challenge to Goku. Then again, appearances weren't everything.

"Oob!"

"Give him number four," Goku said quickly, as the dark-skinned boy walked nervously to the drawing box.

"What?" Vegeta snapped. "That kid?"

"Yeah…I've been waiting for him for ten years." Goku grinned. "Ten years ago when evil Boo was about to die, I wished he'd be reincarnated as a good guy so we could fight again. It looks like King Enma pulled some strings for me."

King Enma was the lord of the afterlife, Chiyo knew that. But a ten year old kid? He had less muscle on him than most normal kids, let alone enough to hold his own with.

"Son Chiyo!"

Chiyo tore herself away from her thoughts and bounded up to the tournament assistants.

"Good to see you back," the announcer said as she thrust her hand into the ball. "We haven't seen you or your dad around for a while."

"Number fifteen," Chiyo said, and held up the ball she'd drawn. "The competition hasn't been as good."

"Good luck."

Chiyo rejoined her family and friends.

"Number 15," she said as Trunks opened his mouth. "So I'm up against..." she checked the board. "Killerno. Whoever that is."

"Aunty?"

Chiyo glanced downwards to find a small hand tugging on her pants. "Yeah? What is it, Pan?"

"Play with me?"

She glanced at the queue, then dropped into a cross legged sit. "Sure."

It didn't take long for the rest of the numbers to be drawn, and the time passed quickly as Chiyo and Pan played patty cake.

"This will be the order of the matches," the announcer said, pointing to the board. "Please step to the stage when your names are called. Until then you're free to rest or warm up...good luck!"

Chiyo looked at the board again. Pan and a man named Mo Kekko were up in the first match, then Goku and Oob. Next was her and Killerno followed by Boo and Goten, Trunks and Otokosuki, then Knock and Vegeta. She wondered who she'd have to fight in the second round.

Because of the smaller number of contestants, the third round would consist of one match, the winner of which would fight the winner of the second round.

"No fair!" Goten said, as they turned to leave the qualifying area. "I get Boo in the first round!"

"That's what you get for slacking off," Goku said promptly.

"Cheer up, Goten," Chiyo said, slapping her younger brother on the shoulder. "You'll do fine."

"Bah!"

A giant man made a noise of disgust and pointed to Pan. "It makes me weep! For combat I come, not kindergarten!"

"If something little as that makes you cry, you might want to get that checked out," Chiyo shot back.

Pan stuck out her tongue. "Nyaahhh!"

"Feh!" the man, who assumedly was Mo Kekko, said. "She should be home nursing!"

"Alright, it's almost time!"

Videl crouched before Pan and tightened her sash. "There we go! Now be strong but be careful, okay?"

"'Kay."

Gohan bent down so he was at his daughter's level. "Remember your training, Pan."

"Right."

_"Pan vs Mo Kekko...Mo is a giant at 7'6" who lost to Mr. Boo in the semi-finals at our last tournament! Pan is Hercule's granddaughter - and at four years of age is our youngest finalist ever!"_

"Looks like you're up," Videl said cheerfully, and stood up.

"Good luck!" Chiyo said.

"Thanks!"

Chiyo went to the exit and watched as Pan and Mo Kekko made their way to the arena.

"Match - begin!"

Immediately Pan leapt straight up and struck Mo Kekko across the face.

"Ouch!" Chiyo said, cringing as the gigantic man staggered, clutching his face. Pan's feet barely touched the ground before she was up, dealing her opponent a kick that sent him flying into the barrier separating the spectators from the arena.

"Good heavens, is he...no, wait! He's still breathing! It's a knock-out!"

"Yaaaay!" Chiyo cheered. The crowd went wild as little Pan bowed, turned, and skipped back into the fighters' waiting room.

"Pan, are you all right?" Hercule said, appearing in a flash by the door. "Are you hurt, baby?"

"Nope."

Chiyo held out her hand and Pan high-fived it.

"What a match!" she said, and gave her niece a hug. "He'll be out for a week!"

Goku glanced over to Oob and held out a hand. "We're next."

"Eh?" the boy said. "Oh! Yes!"

His small hand was enveloped in Goku's as he shook it. "Nice to meet you."

"Match 2 - Son Goku vs Oob!" the announcer shouted from outside.

Chiyo didn't bother to wish her father good luck, though she wondered if he would need it. If he really thought Oob was some great fighter, then this would be the best match of the tournament.

"Son Goku is a master martial artist who has entered the competition many times in the past - and even been champion! Personally I think he's the finest competitor this year! You can look forward to an exciting match between Goku and Hercule's protégé, Mr. Boo!

"Oob is ten years old and hails from a tropical island! He's the oldest of five siblings who works hard to take care of his brothers and sisters! He's entered for the prize money!"

"Poor kid," Chiyo said thoughtfully. "Too much responsibility for a ten year old."

"He looks nervous," Goten said.

Oob did indeed look very nervous. His dark eyes glanced from side to side, as if there were some way he could get out of the match. His demeanour showed clearly in contrast with Goku's calmness.

"Match - begin!" the announcer shouted.

Chiyo expected Goku to attack right away, but he didn't. He stood calmly while Oob hunched over, his small fists clenched.

Then Goku said something, and Oob looked surprised.

"Can you hear what they're saying?" she asked Vegeta, who shook his head.

Oob jerked like a startled animal and shouted something.

"Did he just say his mom is fat?" Chiyo wondered, frowning.

Then Goku attacked - his kick caught the side of Oob's face. Instead of the boy falling, however, he turned back to the older man. His face was a mask of fury.

And finally, Oob attacked.

His answering kick smashed into Goku's forearm with a sound like a clap of thunder, and the boy's follow up punch was barely dodged. Goku back-flipped to avoid the third blow, then charged. His fist met the boy's elbow, then they were off. Goku was fighting faster than he had in more than five years - five years being the last time he challenged Vegeta to a sparring match. Chiyo felt her senses automatically tuning to the fight, her ears picking up the sounds of blows connecting and her mind finding the chi of the two fighters.

"Gyaaahhh!"

A sudden rush of wind caught Chiyo by surprise, and she barely caught sight of Goku, who went flying as Oob's chi exploded. But he stopped in mid-air and simply floated, watching Oob with an expression she couldn't fathom. Then he landed, and walked toward the young boy.

"What's Dad doing?" Goten wondered. "Chiyo, can you hear him?"

Chiyo shook her head. She could make out Goku's voice rising and falling and Oob answering. The boy looked confused, and the rest of the spectators probably felt the same way.

Then Goku rose into the air and floated over to the second storey of the main building, where Chiyo knew their friends and family were watching the match.

_This is ridiculous!_ She thought, scowling. Without another word she marched outside and glared into the sky.

"DAD!"

Goku glanced down, took in the sight of his angry daughter, and landed in front of her.

"Didn't you just forfeit your match?" Chiyo said, raising an eyebrow.

Goku grinned. "I don't care about that, silly! I'm gonna go live with Oob and train him."

Chiyo scowled at him. "Dad! Really?"

"You're leaving?" Goten said. He and Trunks had followed Chiyo outside and stood looking bemusedly at Goku.

"Sure am," Goku replied cheerfully. "Oob needs someone to train him in martial arts. I'm gonna live with him for a while. But - "

"Grampa! Grampa!"

Pan came running from the fighters' waiting room. The look of devastation on her face made Chiyo's stomach clench unpleasantly, and she looked away.

"Grampa, tell me it's not true!" the little girl cried, when Goku picked her up. "You're not really leavin'? Are you?"

"'Fraid so, Pan."

Pan looked at her grandfather with big eyes that swam with tears.

"No!" she cried, and clung to him. "What am I gonna do without you? It's not _fa-a-a-ir!_"

Goku stroked his granddaughter's hair while she sobbed into his shirt. Chiyo was suddenly reminded of a day when she had clung to her father like that, so many years ago.

"It's okay, Pan," Goku said gently. "I won't be gone forever. And I'll come visit you sometime."

The small girl's sobs gradually quieted until, sniffling, she looked up at him.

"Promise?"

"Of course." Goku rested his large hand on her head. "But you have to keep trainin' and be strong like Grandpa, okay?"

"'Kay."

"Aunty Chiyo will teach you everythin' you need t' know! Won't you?"

"Um...sure..."

"Yaaay!"

Chiyo accepted her small niece from Goku and put her arms around the little girl. Pan didn't seem so upset anymore, but Chiyo knew that would change when she learned that a 'sometime visit' didn't mean next week, or even in a month.

Goku was leaving, and wherever he went he would be gone for good. This Chiyo knew as she watched her father fly away with Boo.

"'Bye, Papa," she whispered. "Until we meet again."


	79. Epilogue

Jeez...I can't believe it. I've come to the end, after 3 years and over 140,000 words.

I'd just like to thank you - AGAIN - for your reviews, praises, flames, comments, criticisms, love and hate alike! Thank you so so much! I couldn't have done it without you!

Now the story is freshly revised, dialogue updated, new chapters added, and I shall henceforth be leaving this to rest.

But don't worry, because I have more DBZ writing to come...

* * *

**Epilogue**

"_I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death."_

Robert Fulghum

"Great-Grampa flew away with the boy - just like that?"

The two children's eyes widened as they listened in awe to the story.

"That's right," Chiyo replied. "Just like that."

"Who was the boy?"

Chiyo ran a hand through the short, dark hair on the little girl's head.

"He was a reincarnation of Boo."

"You mean that big pink monster? Ew!" the girl stuck her tongue out.

"And you never saw Great-Grampa again?" her brother said, eager to continue the story.

"No," Chiyo said softly. "We never saw him again."

"D'you think he's in heaven with Dad?"

"I don't know, Shiru. I don't think so." She smiled thoughtfully. "I think he's away somewhere still training. Papa always loved to fight."

"We know that," the little girl said impatiently. "What happened next?"

"What's next, Inari, is bed. You too, Shiru."

Both children groaned in unison, but Chiyo fixed them with a stern look.

"Bed! You have school tomorrow and I'm not flying there with you!"

Once the bedroom lights clicked off, Chiyo wandered out of the room. She stopped at the door at the end of the hall and entered quietly.

The child in the crib stirred at the light, but didn't wake. The faint glow from outside gave him only the slightest silhouette, but even in the poor light she could see the very familiar outline of his hair.

Chiyo stepped softly into the room and leaned over the crib. Her son stirred again, rubbed his eyes with fat fists, and turned on his side. She bent down to kiss his soft cheek.

"Goodnight, Goshi," she whispered. "Sweet dreams."

THE END


End file.
